A Prank on Glorfindel
by Esteliel01
Summary: Little Elrohir and Elladan are given an honourable task, but when they try to fulfill it they find themselves in hot water. A playful elfling adventure in Rivendell, with Elrond, Celebrían, Glorfindel, Erestor, Celeborn and a fiery plant called 'Uruin'.
1. Uruin

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**By Esteliel01**

**_This is a not for profit work of fan fiction based on the characters of J.R.R. Tolkien_**

**Chapter 1 – Uruin**

The Lord of Imladris gazed across the table at his young sons, holding up a crystal decanter with a clear liquid in it.

"I want your full attention for a moment…Elrohir?"

"Yes, Ada."

"Elladan?"

The dark-haired elfling kept stirring the herbs in his silver bowl with a look of deepest concentration written on his face.

"Elladan, I would like you to put your spoon down," the Elf Lord entreated.

A shove from his twin made the 12-year-old elfling look up. He had been totally engrossed in his work, proud as he was to be helping his father to make remedies and potions for use in the healing rooms.

Elrond briefly raised his eyebrows at his inattentive son before he placed the decanter on the table.

"This decanter contains Uruin extract," he explained, giving both of his sons an encouraging nod. "After you have strained the contents of your bowls, you will add ten drops of Uruin extract to each vial before you fill them with your potion. You will securely close the lids and slowly turn each vial upside down a few times. This will allow the Uruin to mix with the rest of the herbs."

Two identical heads nodded in unison.

"Uruin is a herb which, when properly used, will ease the pain of burns and strong itches," Elrond instructed.

"However…"

Elladan was reaching for the decanter, but a sidelong glance from his father stopped him.

"…your mother has asked me to impress on you that a single drop of Uruin is enough to leave lasting stains on your clothing. Therefore you will put on old tunics before you continue."

Elladan sighed and made a face, but he obediently jumped off his stool and walked to the door where two old tunics were lying on a chair. He scowled indignantly as his small, nimble fingers undid the laces on his dark blue sleeves. Elrohir, however, stared thoughtfully at the decanter.

"Ada…how can a clear liquid leave stains? It looks like water."

Elrond smiled. His observant elfling already had a mind that could rapidly spot things that others didn't.

"Uruin, Elrohir, has no colour of its own as long as it is kept in a glass container. However, if it is poured onto elvish cloth or fabric, it will turn blood red."

Elladan's face appeared above the neck of his old tunic, awe and enthusiasm gleaming in his eyes. He tossed the other tunic to his brother and hurried to tie his laces, eager to finish the potion so he could witness the miracle of Uruin for himself.

O-o-O-o-O

When the potions were strained and the vials ready to be filled, Elrond took two small pipets and filled each of them with Uruin from the decanter. The Elf Lord couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the curious, expectant looks on his sons' bright faces. Smiling indulgently, he pulled out a strip of white cloth and demonstrated the 'Uruin-effect'.

The twins' eyes opened wide when they saw the colourless liquid transform into a bright, bloody red as soon as it touched the fabric.

"It looks so real!" Elladan gasped.

"Like real blood!" Elrohir goggled.

Both elflings suddenly clenched their fists under the table, resisting the urge to exchange exhilerated glances. They knew better than to look at each other with their Ada around, lest they should give themselves away. But a pair of delighted, mischievous minds already worked out worlds of wonderful pranks that could be played with the help of Uruin.

"Make sure not to spill it," Elrond cautioned. "For even if the Uruin dries up before you touch it, it still causes stains, and…"

With a bang the door to the apothecary flew open and Glorfindel burst in, holding an unconscious, bleeding warrior in his arms.

"Elrond, quick! He was caught in a rockslide."

The Lord of Rivendell immediately rose to his feet and hurried after the Balrog Slayer into the healing rooms, calling rapid orders to the healers and apprentices that were rushing to his aid. At the door he rounded on his two elflings and raised his eyebrows. "Stay here. Do not touch anything. Wait until I come back."

The door closed with a soft thud and the twins were left alone in the silence of the apothecary.

O-o-O-o-O

Elladan glanced at the two pipets that lay brotherly on the table. Elrohir's keen gaze went out of the window to check if any Elf in the yard would be able to see them in here. Elladan quickly walked to the door and looked into the hallway. "No-one," he whispered, quietly closing the door again. He rushed back to the table and looked around for the strip of cloth his father had demonstrated the Uruin on.

The brothers' eyes sparkled with excitement as Elrohir carefully picked up one of the pipets and dripped some Uruin onto the cloth that Elladan held out to him. A new bright red stain appeared on the white fabric.

"Wonderful!" beamed Elladan. He took the stained cloth and pressed it against his arm.

Suddenly a pained expression clouded his face. "Ouch! Oh, Elrohir! Fetch Ada! Quick!" he wailed. "I have been stabbed! I'm bleeding!" The dark-haired elfling giggled as he doubled over in 'pain', demonstrating just how badly he had been hurt.

"Give it to me!" Elrohir urged. He took the cloth from his brother and added a few more drops of Uruin. Then he pressed the cloth firmly against his forehead, making sure the bloody stains were clearly visible to Elladan.

"Brilliant!" gasped his twin. "It looks just like you have a real head wound! Even Ada will not see the difference at first glance! You have to moan a little bit, El. Otherwise no-one is going to believe you are hurt."

Elrohir let out a pityful moan and pretended to stagger. "Perfect!" giggled Elladan. "They will believe that the blow to your head has given you a concussion as well!"

Elladan reached for the second pipet and was about to drip some of it onto his arm, when his brother's hand stopped him.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"What if it won't come off?" Elrohir hinted with a knowing frown. "Your arm will be red a long time. Naneth won't like it."

Elladan shrugged. "If I put it on my body it will look _far_ more real than on a cloth. I want to see!" He pulled his hand free from his brother's grasp and dripped some Uruin on the bare skin of his arm.

Nothing happened.

"It doesn't turn red!" Elladan looked puzzled. "Look, El, it's still clear!"

"I can see that!" bristled Elrohir. "I am not blind!" He rubbed his forehead. Valar! Elladan thought him so stupid sometimes!

"Why do you think it doesn't turn red?" Elladan demanded, feeling frustrated. He wanted to have a real-looking wound! Not just a bloodstained cloth that would reveal healthy skin when removed. He dripped a little more Uruin on his arm.

"Come one! Bleed!" he urged.

Suddenly he became aware that his arm was itching unbearably. He used his sleeve to wipe off the residue of Uruin and scratched his skin with his nails, but it only got worse. Then he glanced at Elrohir, who was fervently scratching his forehead.

"El? Wasn't Uruin supposed to _stop_ the itching?" he asked uncertainly.

"Maybe Ada was mistaken," Elrohir gasped, desperately raking his fingers across his brow. "Oh El! The itching gets worse! It burns!"

But Elrohir did not need to tell Elladan that the itching was rapidly turning to burning. The two sons of Elrond ran to the jugs of water by the sink, alternately helping each other to pour water over Elrohir's forehead and Elladan's arm.

When the alarmed Elf Lord entered his apothecary only five minutes later, Elrohir's hair and tunic were soaking wet, the floor was awash and both his elflings were howling in pain.

"Stop it, Ada! Stop it!" they pleaded. "Make the pain go away!"

One glance at his sons' pitiful state and the way they groped at their skin – not to mention the near-empty pipets on the table – told Elrond what had happened. He rushed to his cabinet and crushed some pain-relieving herbs into two cups. With one hand he poured hot water on the herbs to make a tea they could drink, with the other he pulled a small jar with cream from a drawer.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked Elladan, kneeling down beside his sons. Elladan weakly pointed at his arm, whimpering as he lay doubled up on the ground in pain. Elrond smeared the cream onto the now badly scratched, raw skin on the elfling's arm.

"Let me look, Elrohir," Elrond urged, gently prying his son's desperate hands away from his forehead. "Show me where it hurts, ion nín." He applied the salve to Elrohir's forehead and briefly placed a soothing hand on each of his children's cheeks. Then he quickly walked back to his cabinet to fetch the tea cups.

"Drink this, my sons," he coaxed. "It will relieve the pain a little."

The Lord of Imladris had never seen his elflings drink such a bitter tea so fast. He scooped them up in his arms, ignoring the wetness seeping into his robes from Elrohir's tunic, and carried his children into the healing room.

"Aelin, would you please summon their mother?" he asked one of the young healers quietly. The young Sinda nodded and left at once.

O-o-O-o-O

Elrond sat on a bed with his crying sons on his lap, waiting for the light footfall of his beloved.

"Your naneth will be here soon, little ones," he crooned, planting a kiss on the top of Elladan's head. His oldest was clinging to him as though his life depended on it, sobbing desperately in his Ada's shoulder. Elrohir sat with his back against his father's chest, struggling against the firm grip that Elrond had on his hands.

"It hurts, Ada! It hurts!" Elrohir bawled.

"I know, Elrohir," Elrond soothed, tightening his grip on the tiny wrists. "I will hold you, ion nín. You must not scratch yourself. Rubbing and scratching will make the pain worse."

A streak of silver hair shot into the healing room and in a flash Celebrían was pulling her children into an embrace. Elrond still held Elrohir's hands, but when the blubbering elfling frantically tried to rub his forehead on his brother's shoulder, the Elf Lord lovingly pulled his youngest back into his lap.

"Why doesn't it stop, Ada?" Elladan wailed.

Celebrían's worried eyes found Elrond's.

"What…?" her eyebrows asked.

"Uruin," Elrond mouthed softly. He nodded towards the curtain that shielded the unconscious warrior from view. "When Haldan was brought in, I left them on their own."

Celebrían understood at once. She knew her husband well enough to know he would have forbidden their sons to touch the Uruin. However, she also knew her sons. They were old enough to obey their father and to be trusted with some responsibility. But the mischievous, impish streak they had so obviously inherited from their mother – _and their grandfather_, she thought with a wry smile – was proving far too strong for her little ones to resist at times.

"When will the pain go away, Ada?" Elrohir sobbed.

Elrond closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he would have to say.

"It will last a few hours, my sons," he admitted with regret in his voice.

A small wail escaped from Elladan's throat. Elrohir dug his fingernails into his father's robes, tossing his head backwards in an attempt to shake the pain from his searing brow.

"Alas, ion nín, there is no remedy against the burning of Uruin," Elrond apologized. "The extract of Uruin is able to heal burns and to soothe many itches. But on healthy skin it burns like fire."

Elladan's pleading eyes met his father's. "Is there nothing you can do, Ada?" he begged.

"The tea I gave you should ease your pain a little, Elladan," Elrond promised. "As should the cream. But I regret to say that the burning will _still_ be far from gone, tithen pen. You have no other choice but to wait a few hours until the Uruin's poison wears off."

"And we will be right here with you while you do," Celebrían reassured her sons. "We will not leave you."

O-o-O-o-O

From a distance, Aelin watched as the Lord and Lady of Rivendell softly sang songs for their crying children, holding them and comforting them through their pain. He knew how much the Uruin hurt – having accidentally spilled some on his hands a few hundred years earlier. He grimaced. It had been sheer agony.

However, he also knew that within three or four hours the pain would begin to wear off. The sons of Elrond might be tired from their painful experience by then. But Aelin was sure that before the day would end, the Last Homely House would be filled with the cheerful banter of two happy, mischievous young elflings again…

TBC

_ada – dad(dy)_

_naneth – mother_

_ion nín – 'my son', or 'my sons'_

_tithen pen – little one_

* * *

_AN: 'Uruin' is a non-existing plant that I made up. I created the name by putting the Sindarin words 'Ûr' (fire, heat, to be hot) and 'Ruin' ('red flame' or 'fiery red') together. _

_So in my modest attempt at Sindarin, 'Ûr-Ruin' made 'Uruin' (Red Fire)._

_Poor little elflings… I do feel terribly sorry for putting them through this ordeal. They will suffer no more from the burning of Uruin, I promise! However, despite a painful introduction to its properties, this plant has far from lost its attraction for the twins. No, they will not be sadistic. But there is a certain golden-haired warrior that they would love to play a good prank on. And Uruin turns out to offer more opportunities than they thought… _

_Esteliel_


	2. The Task

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 2** **– The task**

Two little elflings lay in their beds, unfocused eyes staring up at the ceiling, where the reflection of Anor's first rays in the bedroom mirror was creating dancing spots of golden light that merrily chased each other across the elaborate carvings.

One long, wide yawn preceded the rising of a large lump under one of the blankets, when Elrohir's legs started their usual morning ritual of slowly kicking and moving the sleep out of his body. Eyes still unfocused, a pair of small hands found their way from under the blankets to the elfling's fair cheeks, rubbing sleepily.

In the bed beside him, two grey eyes gradually focused on the dancing lights above. As Elladan slowly became aware of his surroundings, the sound of Elrohir's feet shoving and kicking the sheets told him that his brother was drifting to wakefulness, too. He turned to see Elrohir tossing and turning, hands over his eyes, struggling to ward off the alluring relaxation of the realm of waking dreams.

A bright smile appeared on Elladan's face. He sat up, tossed his pillow to his brother and jumped out of bed. "Come on, El!" He hurried to get dressed, but stopped when he realized that only his leggings were lying on his chair. Where was his tunic?

With a pang he remembered the events of the day before and the resulting red stain on the sleeve of his old tunic. He had not stopped to think when he had wiped the Uruin from his skin – and now the garment was ruined. He felt relieved that Naneth had given them old clothes to wear, for Ada had cut off the sleeve before he had been allowed to strip off his tunic. Naneth had then thrown both the sleeve and the tunic into the fire.

"That stain would never have come out," Nana had told them. "Besides, you do not want to burn yourself on the Uruin again."

Elladan shivered at the memory. The afternoon had already been growing into evening when the pain of the Uruin had finally subsided. He and El had both been exhausted, drained of their energy from the hours of unbearable hurt. Erestor had come with bread and bowls of broth, which Naneth and Ada had spoon-fed their shaking sons.

But like all elves and elflings, the sons of Elrond and Celebrían had not needed long to recover. When Glorfindel looked in on them a mere hour later, he found the twins giggling in delight about a story from their Naneth's childhood. They had pulled the Balrog Slayer onto the bed between them – and when the Chief of Defenses finally left the healing room, it had been with two cheering elflings on his back as he galloped away from Elrond's admonishing shushing.

A sudden blow to his head made Elladan spin around. Behind him stood Elrohir, with a second pillow in his hand, grinning broadly. Elladan Peredhel did not need another invitation, and soon the two brothers were in the midst of a ferocious pillow fight. Their clear voices and high-pitched giggles sounded into the hallway, mixed with dull thuds as the pillows slammed home. Rapid elvish feet ran around and over the beds, nimbly jumping back to the ground and spinning as the elflings attacked and avoided each other's blows.

In the silence of the adjacent room a silver-haired elleth smiled into her husband's chest. "Of all the possible ways to be woken too early, this is my favourite," she confessed. Elrond's clear laughter filled the room while he gently pulled her body against his own, breathing deeply of her dazzling scent and relishing the beguiling warmth of her smooth skin. "Yes, meleth-nín, hearing our sons so happy is like music to my heart," he mused into the silver-blond hair, softly kissing the nape of her neck. He touched his nose to her ear. "Although I could think of other enticing reasons for waking up early..." Celebrían gasped as his hand travelled across her skin…

O-o-O-o-O

"This morning you will be helping me clean up the apothecary," Elrond informed his sons over breakfast.

Elladan's face fell, but Elrohir's face lit up. "No lessons with Erestor today?" the youngest Peredhel asked hopefully.

The Seneschal gave an amused snort while the clear baritone of Glorfindel and Celebrían's tinkling laughter resounded through the dining room.

Elrond briefly looked down at his plate to keep his composure. "Alas, Elrohir, you will not be excused from your lessons. You and your brother did not heed my clear instructions not to touch anything. You paid for it in a way that will hopefully not ever be repeated. But this does not mean that you will be excused from your responsibilities."

Both elflings meekly looked up at their father.

"Your lessons with Erestor have been moved to the afternoon. Your archery lessons have been cancelled."

Elladan's eyes grew large and he seemed to want to protest, but when Elrond raised his eyebrows, he quickly closed his mouth. Elrohir glanced from his father to his brother, weighing his chances.

"But Ada…"

"No buts, Elrohir," the Lord of Imladris chided gently. "You and Elladan disobeyed me, and you ignored all necessary caution around a herb of which you did not yet fully know its properties and effects. I fully intend to have a word with you before the morning is over. You will both clean up after yourselves in my apothecary and you will meet with Erestor after lunch."

Celebrían smiled as her elflings hung their heads, their cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Eat, ion nín," she reminded them. "You will have a long morning."

As the elflings continued to pick at their breakfast, the older elves exchanged amused glances across the table. Glorfindel grinned at Erestor, wordlessly reminding him of the impossible task to keep the twins' attention when they would rather be outside on the archery fields.

O-o-O-o-O

Elrond opened a drawer in his cabinet and pulled out three pairs of soft leather gloves. His sons were dressed in long-sleeved winter tunics and identical sturdy riding pants. They both gazed around the apothecary in obvious wonder.

"But Ada, the room is already clean!" Elladan grinned.

"No, Elladan," Elrond contradicted. "The apprentices may have mopped up the flood of water you left on the floor here yesterday, but the herb you have been playing with was Uruin. What do you know about Uruin, ion nín?"

Elladan exchanged a puzzled glance with his brother.

"It causes red stains on elvish fabric, burns on healthy skin and it can ease the pain of burns and itches," the Elf Lord began. "What else?"

Elrohir shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "We don't know Ada. Will you tell us?"

Elrond handed the twins a pair of gloves each. "Uruin," he explained, "contains a substance that remains on the surface even after the liquid of the extract has dried. It is invisible to the eye, but when touched it still causes stains, and it burns severely on healthy skin."

He picked up his own pair of gloves and put them on.

"So what happens, my sons, if the two of you spilled some Uruin on the table and someone were to work here today?"

"They would touch it and their hands would burn," Elrohir whispered, mortified.

Elladan winced when he thought back of the pain on his arm. He would never wish such pain on _anyone!_

Elrond pointed at the table where they had played with the pipets. "Can you see any Uruin on the table?"

The twins curiously edged closer. The table looked as pristine as ever.

"Put on your gloves first," Elrond cautioned. He moved his hand across the surface of the table and showed them a barely visible, powdery substance on the tip of his finger.

"Is that Uruin?" Elladan asked.

Elrond smiled. "It could be. It may be dust. It may be some left over powder from another herb or remedy. How will we know?"

Elrohir's face screwed up in concentration, but then it brightened. "Because your glove doesn't turn red!" he exclaimed triumphantly. His father shook his head.

"No, Elrohir. Uruin does not cause stains on leather, nor will it do so on skin, on wood, on metal or on glass. Uruin only stains on cloth." Elrond looked at his sons expectantly. "So how then will we know if there is Uruin on this wooden table?"

Elladan glanced around and spotted some strips of white elvish linen lying on the cabinet. He took one and carefully dabbed the linen on his father's gloved finger. It turned bright red.

"Oh…" the twins gasped in unison.

Elrond raised his eyebrows at them. "So how do we make sure that there is no spilled Uruin left in this room?"

Elrohir picked up a strip of linen like his brother and pointed at the table. "We wipe the cloth across the table and if it turns red, there is more. If it does not, then it is gone."

"Very good," the Elf Lord nodded approvingly. "But how will we know that there is no Uruin in the rest of my apothecary?"

Elladan cocked his head and frowned. "El and I only played at this table, Ada. We did not take it anywhere else."

Elrond gazed at his son. "Can you be absolutely sure that you did not spill any on the floor?"

Elladan thought back of the Uruin he had put on his arm. He realized that it was rather possible that some drops would have fallen to the ground. "Then we'll wipe the floor around the table as well," he offered.

Elrohir scowled. He'd rather be outside, playing in the trees.

But their Ada had not yet finished.

O-o-O-o-O

"Think hard, Elladan, Elrohir," the Elf Lord encouraged. "Think about what the floor looked like when we left here yesterday."

"It was wet," Elladan murmured.

"Could the Uruin have been in the water?" Elrond asked.

Elrohir nodded slowly.

"And why is the floor no longer wet?" Elrond helped.

"Because the apprentices have mopped it up," Elrohir replied dutifully, fumbling with his gloves.

"So where is the Uruin now?" Elrond asked patiently.

Both elflings looked up at him, stricken.

"Ada, do you mean to say that the Uruin may have been spread all over the floor?" Elladan exclaimed incredulously.

"Yes, Elladan," the Lord of Imladris nodded. He crouched down in front of his sons and made them look into his eyes.

"When the apprentices noticed that some of their mops turned red, they immediately came to see me. Elladan, even the smallest amounts of Uruin can cause stains and burning. Although the few drops you spilled were diluted by much water, the powder can nonetheless remain behind after the liquid has dried.

"Therefore, after the floor had been mopped dry, there was still no telling if a small residue of unnoticed Uruin powder might have been left behind on the floor. What do you think this means?"

Elrohir blanched, guessing the answer.

"_Someone_ will have to take a piece of cloth and check every square inch on the floor with greatest care," Elrond said sternly, standing up. "An arduous task, which will take time and requires great caution so as not to get hurt by the Uruin again. Do you think I assigned this task to my apprentices, who had no hand in the spilling of the Red Fire?"

Elladan blushed while Elrohir hung his head. "No, Ada," they mumbled docilely.

A highly uncomfortable feeling spread in the two elflings' stomachs. So this was what Ada had in mind for them this morning.

O-o-O-o-O

Elrond slipped out of his robes and hung them on a peg beside his cabinet. "Come, ion nín," he directed, taking a piece of linen in his glove. The elflings followed him to the far corner of the apothecary.

"Remember," Elrond cautioned. "The Uruin does not stain on leather, so if you touch the floor and there is Uruin on your glove, you will not see. Do _not_ wipe your forehead or try to wipe your hair from your face. Do _not_ scratch your nose or touch any part of your skin with your gloves, lest the burning starts anew. If you must do so, use your sleeves."

"But Ada," Elladan chipped in. "If we kneel down and there is Uruin on the floor, it will stain our clothes!"

"Yes, it will," Elrond acknowledged wryly. "Your Naneth had her reasons for dressing you in these old clothes today. Let us hope that they will remain unblemished." He pulled out two leather bands and started to braid his sons' hair to keep it out of the way while they worked.

"Ada?" Elrohir asked hesitantly. "What if the Uruin _does_ stain our clothes? Will it burn us again?"

Elrond tied off his son's braid and shook his head. "The fabric of your riding pants is of such strong material: even if it gets stained, the Uruin cannot possibly reach your skin. Your winter tunics will protect your arms. As long as the fabric of your clothes is thick enough, you will be safe."

He smiled encouragingly and placed a warm hand on his children's cheeks. "Remember not to touch the stains, though. But I doubt that we will find much Uruin powder today. You did not spill much extract, and most of it has already been washed away by the red-stained mops. We may be in for a very boring morning."

The stately Elf Lord knelt down beside his sons. "However, we still have to take _all_ necessary precautions, so that no-one can possibly get hurt."

He looked at the four reluctant grey eyes behind him.

"We will start here. Elladan, you and I will begin to wipe the floor. Elrohir, you will keep an eye on the ground we have covered, and make sure we do not miss anything. When we reach the door, we will switch."

O-o-O-o-O

Two hours onwards a pair of elflings sat on their knees with very chagrined looks on their faces, wiping pristine white cloths across small parts of the floor.

"You have missed a spot, Elladan," Elrond said gently.

"Ada!" Elrohir tried hard to keep his exasperation from his voice. "If we keep working this meticulously, we will _never_ finish the job! We are not even halfway through the room!"

"Alas, ion nín. The Uruin has been spilled and it _must_ be cleaned away with great care. You are reaping what you have sown," Elrond commented calmly.

"But we have only found _one_ tiny little bit of Uruin," Elladan protested. He pointed at his cloth. "Look, Ada! The stain is barely larger than a pinhead!"

"If touched by an unwitting hand or bare foot, it will burn all the same," Elrond admonished his sons. "Would you risk that an other suffer what you suffered yesterday, only because you refuse to take time to properly clean the floor?"

Two dark-haired elflings bent back over their work, carefully wiping the floor, meanwhile blushing so deeply that even their necks turned a light shade of pink.

"Goheno nin, Ada," Elladan whispered softly.

"Forgive me, Ada," Elrohir echoed.

O-o-O-o-O

The bells of the Last Homely House rang for lunch when another three laborious hours had passed. Elrohir looked up from where he was dabbing the floor with his father, but Elladan kept his eyes firmly locked on the ground. "Just three more inches, El," he reminded his twin. "Ada, have you checked that spot over there?"

Elrond chuckled inwardly, wiping his cloth another time across the small patch of floor, and turned the linen around to check for stains. Nothing… Elrohir carefully labored on beside him while Elladan kept a very close watch on the proceedings, both elflings not satisfied until the final corner of the floor had been thoroughly checked.

At last the three of them were relieved to be disposing of several red-stained cloths in the large central fire of the healing room. The area around the working table had ultimately contained far more Uruin than the twins had expected.

"Are we done now, Ada?" Elladan asked hopefully.

"We are," Elrond smiled warmly. He placed his hands on his sons' small shoulders. "Elrohir, Elladan, I am very pleased with the way you have born the consequences of your actions. You have taken responsibility to clean up after yourselves and you have not complained during these last few hours. I am proud of you."

The subdued little elflings suddenly beamed up at him, glad to have made their father happy. Elrond winked at them and glanced at the door. "You may go to your mother to refresh yourselves for lunch."

He did not need to say it twice!

Two wild young colts stormed from the apothecary, immensely relieved to be released from their long obligatory stay in the 'stables'. Elrond closed his eyes and chuckled at the exuberance of his elflings. He took up a last strip of white cloth and carefully began to dab his gloves.

O-o-O-o-O

In the hallway Elladan pushed Elrohir into an alcove. "This is it!" he whispered excitedly.

"This is what?" questioned Elrohir, puzzled by his twin's sudden outburst.

"The Prank! Glorfindel!" Elladan pressed on with glistening eyes. "Daerada is coming next week. He has left us a task, remember?"

Elrohir's eyes sparkled in the shadow of their hiding place as he remembered the hilarious scene at their grandparents' departure after the Spring celebrations. _"When I return, I expect my grandsons to avenge me for this serious dent in my pride. I will be counting on you,"_ he mimicked Celeborn's words. "I forgot! But El, you don't want to use…?"

"Uruin," Elladan nodded.

"No!" Elrohir protested. "I don't want Glorfindel to get hurt!"

"He won't get hurt at all, I have a plan!" Elladan beamed. "A very good plan. Daerada will be proud."

He pulled his brother from the alcove and together the two elflings raced off to find their mother.

TBC

_peredhel - half-elven_

_meleth nín__ – my love_

_ion nín – 'my son', or 'my sons'_

_goheno nin – forgive me_

_daerada - granddad_

_

* * *

_

_AN: For those who asked: Uruin is pronounced: 'Oo-roo-een', the first syllable is stressed. _

_Elladan and Elrohir have an honourable task to fulfill. But what is Elladan's plan? How will the Uruin be involved without the Golden Warrior or the elflings getting hurt? Did Celeborn oversee the possible consequences when he appointed this task to his grandsons? _

_Stay tuned to find out!_

_Esteliel_


	3. Glorfindel

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 3 – Glorfindel**

"Elladan Peredhel! Elrohir! Please remain seated!"

The Seneschal of the Last Homely House employed his greatest and very best efforts to appear authoritative. He folded his arms over his chest, made himself as tall as he could and frowned sternly, looking rather impressive as he walked forward to lecture his unruly charges.

The effect, however, was lost on the rambunctious elflings, whose backs were now turned on their teacher as they climbed onto the window sill for a better view of the court yard below.

Smiling behind their backs, understanding full well that there was not much attention left in his pupils after such a long day, the advisor put his arms around the small waists and lifted the sons of Elrond back onto the bench behind their desk.

"Erestor! I can walk!" came the indignant protest from the imp on his left.

"We have worked so hard today. May we please go outside now?" chimed in the twin on his right.

"_Please_?" chorused two deceivingly angelic faces.

Erestor shook his head and knelt in front of them, kindly gazing in the now disappointed, moping faces. "It is only two more pages until the end of the battle. Once you have finished reading it out to me, you may go and play until the bells ring for supper."

He briefly raised an eyebrow. "Now don't you scowl at me like that. You know why you are here this afternoon."

Elladan sighed and turned on his bench to pick up a quill he had dropped. Elrohir rhythmically drummed his fingers on his ink well and kicked his feet against the leg of the desk.

Erestor patiently placed his hand on the sheet of parchment and pointed to the last word Elladan had read before. "Come, Elladan," he coaxed, with only a hint of sternness in his voice. His eyes found Elrohir, who ceased his drumming and kicking at the admonishing look on the Seneschal's face.

Elladan heaved another dramatic sigh and placed his elbow on his desk, dropping his head on his hand as he slowly began to read.

_Glorfindel ah Eärnur aphadar __i Nazgûl..._

O-o-O-o-O

As soon as Glorfindel had chased the Witch-King back into Angmar and the Battle of Fornost had ended, two exuberant young Elves made a beeline for the trees behind the stables.

"Tell me your plan," Elrohir urged his brother, climbing to a fork in the tree.

Elladan flopped down beside him, pulled a handful of berries from his pocket and happily began to eat. "I thought that Erestor would never let us go!" he grinned, holding out his hand.

"El, the plan for Glorfindel," Elrohir reminded. "I want to know."

Elladan's eyes twinkled. "Not yet," he whispered mysteriously. "Not here." He glanced around and pointed to a clearing ahead where four archers of the Imladris Guard sat on a fallen log, enjoying a meal of fruit salad and buttered _cram_. The older twin put a finger on his lip and closed his eyes, fully enjoying the curious looks he knew his brother must now be sending him.

"Come on, Elladan. Tell me!" Elrohir demanded.

"Hush!" Elladan giggled, delighting in riling his twin. He rested his head against the treebark and leisurely swung his feet in the air, eyes closed.

"El, if you don't tell me, I'll push you out of this tree," Elrohir threatened.

His twin slowly opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "If I tell you here, we will be overheard! Silly orc!" he teased playfully.

"Then let's go somewhere else!" Elrohir hissed. He growled with impatience when Elladan closed his eyes again.

"Peace, Elrohir," Elladan smiled. "Can't you see I'm resting?"

"Yes, and I am the son of Glorfindel," Elrohir snorted. "If you don't come freely, I will have to make you."

"You could try," Elladan baited with an impish laugh. He was thrilled by the prospect of a romp with his brother.

"El!" Elrohir warned, his voice low and threatening.

Elladan knew that voice. His brother was really getting angry now. Time to change tactics. In the blink of an eye he jumped to his feet and swung himself out of the tree.

"You'll have to catch me first!" he called over his shoulder, running away.

A loud word sounded from the tree above him as Elrohir hurried to follow his brother.

"Ada had better not hear you say that!" Elladan laughed, sprinting away through the forest.

"I will get you, El!" Elrohir shouted from behind.

They nimbly raced each other through the undergrowth between the trees. Neither was faster or slower than the other, but both twins were determined to continue the chase and see who would win. Although Elrohir wasted his breath on a litany of threats as he ran, this slight disadvantage was largely compensated by Elladan's incessant laughs and giggles.

"Miserable troll!" Elrohir cried. "I will boil your innards when I get my hands on you!"

Elladan leapt over a set of boulders onto a well-concealed path leading uphill through a small canyon, home of one of the river Bruinen's various tributaries. Elrohir followed on the rocky path, making use of the many curves and bends to try and head off his tease of a brother. Alas! Just when he almost got hold of his desired prey, Elladan burst from the canyon into the pine woods above and cleverly avoided being caught by zig-zagging between the numerous rocks and trees.

O-o-O-o-O

At last they reached the edge of the forest at the top of _Aragond_, a high rock towering over a crystal clear pool below. Here Elrohir tackled his brother and they rolled across the stoney ground, giggling and panting as they tried hard to get on top of each other.

"Tell me!" Elrohir insisted, grabbing hold of his brother's tunic and pushing him down.

"Tell me what?" a clear, amused voice asked behind them.

The boisterous elflings sheepishly gazed upwards into the smiling face of…Glorfindel!

"Glorfindel! Are you meditating?" Elladan evaded quickly. "Did we disturb you?"

A deep, ringing laugh sounded from the Balrog Slayer's chest.

"You did not," the seasoned warrior replied with a warm chuckle. "In fact, I was about to come down to the house and find you both."

"You were?" Elrohir asked eagerly. If Glorfindel came to find them after their lessons, it usually meant that he had come up with something exciting.

The Chief of Defenses put his finger on his lip and pointed to the edge of the rock. "I have seen two peregrine falcons flying to and from the side of _Aragond_ today. I believe they might be nesting here."

"Really?" Elladan immediately made to peer over the ledge, but the watchful Elf Lord quickly snatched the youngster's ankle and pulled him back.

"Elfling! Do you want to fall down?"

Elladan gazed over his shoulder with a hurt look in his eyes. "Glorfindel, you _know_ that I am careful!"

"Yes, Elfling, but I also know your boundless curiosity – _and_ your lack of caution when you aim to get it satisfied," the golden one smiled. He kept a wary eye on Elrohir, who was also approaching the ledge.

"We will not fall down, Glorfindel," Elladan promised. "May I please look?"

"If you did not want us to see it, then what did you want to come and find us for?" Elrohir quipped.

The blonde warrior bit back an amused smile and nodded his consent. "All right then, elflings. But I will be holding your feet."

Elrohir's face fell. Elladan frowned, crossing his arms much like Erestor had done earlier. "Are you implying that we, the sons of Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían, grandsons of Lord Celeborn of Lothlórien, would not be able to hold on to the side of a rock?" he asked indignantly. "We are Elves, Glorfindel! Not humans!"

"Have you seen how high this rock is?" Glorfindel asked calmly.

"Yes! But I have once seen Illuin diving off it. So even _if_ we fall, the pool below is deep enough," Elladan argued angrily.

"We _won't_ fall!" Elrohir huffed. "But I am not afraid to jump down into the water if I must."

Glorfindel only raised an eyebrow at that. He motioned to the side of the rock. "Both peregrines have flown away just before you came, so if you want to look without disturbing them, now is the time. When they come back, I cannot allow you to watch anymore."

The elflings exchanged a quick glance.

"We will watch now then," Elladan announced. "But you needn't hold on. We are twelve, not five! We will be fine." He turned around and knelt on the edge of the rock with his brother, both of them purposely ignoring the Golden Warrior.

Giving extra care to place their fingers on protrusions that would easily support them, and balancing to keep most of their weight on their lower torso and legs, the brothers slowly inched forward. With meticulous precision they bent their heads and shoulders over the steep side of _Aragond_, both Peredhil well aware of the deep drop down to the pool, yet equally determined to show their ability to handle danger.

There, below them, on a narrow ledge in the face of the rock, lay three little reddish brown eggs.

"Glorfindel, they have eggs!" Elrohir squealed. "Come and look!" He carefully edged backwards to make some room. Elladan cautiously placed his hands a little higher on the rough surface of the rock, seeking safe support, inwardly longing to see the Balrog Slayer's expression at this clear demonstration of competence.

Just as the two elflings safely sat back on their haunches and turned to glance at their friend, two strong arms encircled their waists. Before they knew what was happening, Glorfindel had taken a few steps backwards, and – with an elfling under each arm – jumped over the side of the rock…

O-o-O-o-O

The ear-splitting screams echoed along the side of the rock and up towards the steep walls of the canyons. Elrohir panicked when he saw the surface of the water rapidly coming closer.

"Keep your legs together!" Glorfindel bellowed.

The few years of training paid off and the elflings automatically did as they were told.

For Elladan, the horror of the falling sensation was doubled when it seemed to take forever for the plunge to come. "We are never going to hit the water! We are just going to keep falling!" he thought desperately.

Just then, with a loud crash, the cold water of the pond was all around him. Stunned, shocked and unable to move, he simply sank deeper under the surface, his heart racing madly, his entire body tingling with adrenaline. At a tug on his arm he opened his eyes to see Glorfindel, pulling him upwards and motioning for him to swim. A blurry Elrohir was already on his way up, and feeling the urgent need to breathe, Elladan spread his arms and kicked his legs to follow.

As soon as Elrohir's face broke through the surface of the pool he let out a string of the most violent curses. He looked around for his brother and spotted him rising from the clear depths below with Glorfindel. Blind fury came over the youngest Peredhel as he swam to where Elladan and Glorfindel would surface. Before the Golden Warrior was able to take a gulp of air, Elrohir's little fists collided full force with the warrior's head.

"Easy, elfling!" Glorfindel spluttered, holding on to Elladan, who was completely out of breath.

But Elrohir was livid. "What was _that_ for?!" he shrieked, lunging for the Golden One. "Let _go_ of me! I want to hit you hard!"

Glorfindel was forced to keep Elladan above the water with one hand, while keeping Elrohir at arm's length with the other.

"We could have died!" Elladan gasped weakly, expressing support for his brother.

"You monster! Orc-breed! Troll of Morgoth! Foul piece of dragon dung!" Elrohir shouted, beside himself with anger.

"I thought I was dying," Elladan repeated faintly, speaking more to himself now. He clasped his hands on Glorfindel's shoulders, too worn out to swim on his own. The warrior had his hands full with a raging Elrohir, who kept trying to swing his fists at the golden head.

Barely aware of his brother's outrage, Elladan blearily gazed around at the dense pine woods that surrounded the pond. The location was beautiful and the isolated position of Aragond gave the area a deep silence and serenity. Some elves, such as Glorfindel, came here often to meditate or swim in peace. His eyes wandered to the top of Aragond. A large waterfall had once thundered down here, carving the depths of the pool.

Elladan's stomach knotted as he realized the sheer height of massive rock rising up above the deep, clear water. Far above, where Aragond brushed the sky, the peregrine couple was flying around the ledge. It made him feel minute and small. To think that only moments earlier, he had come falling down from up high…

Suddenly his body started shaking vehemently and he broke down in uncontrollable tears.

"Elrohir, stop!" Glorfindel commanded. He turned around to take Elladan in his arms, but a crunching blow against his head momentarily halted him. He wrapped one arm around Elladan's waist and lifted the sobbing youngster slightly out of the water. Then he rounded on Elrohir, who had shocked himself by kicking Glorfindel against the back of his head.

"Elfling!" he bellowed.

The youngest Peredhel, already approaching for a new attack when he saw that the warrior had not been harmed, was abruptly shocked into calmness. The narrow, grey eyes widened with worry when he noticed his brother's distress.

"El!", he cried with a jolt. Elrohir swam forward and wrapped an arm around his weeping twin. "I am with you, El," he panted, treading water and trying to hold on without causing Glorfindel and his brother to sink below the surface. Elladan's shaking hand clasped Elrohir's tightly while he blubbered on Glorfindel's shoulder.

"You are okay, elfling," Glorfindel soothed. "You only had a big scare, that is all. It will pass."

Elrohir shot him a murderous glare, but then kept his focus on Elladan.

Lulled by the gentle love from his brother and trainer, the young Elf gradually calmed down and regained his senses. Blushing fiercely despite the cold of the water, he lifted his head from Glorfindel's shoulder and glared into the smiling warrior's eyes.

"You can let me go now," he bristled, his earlier confusion giving way to vexation. He slapped at the warrior's hands and squirmed to be let free.

Seeing that the youngster was faring far better now, the Balrog Slayer loosened his grip. Elladan slid back into the water and swam several feet away from the warrior, his eyes betraying anger.

"Easy now, elflings," Glorfindel advised. "We had better swim to the bank. Come."

O-o-O-o-O

The sons of Elrond obeyed without question. Side by side they swam to the rocky shore, tired after all the exertion. Stripping off their sopping clothes and boots, they sat down on a large flat rock in the late afternoon sun to dry.

"Glorfindel! You jumped!" Elladan suddenly exclaimed, no longer able to contain his fury. The stunning numbness he had felt after the jump had lifted, and realization of what had happened was finally sinking in. He turned to face the older Elf, his mouth wide open in horror.

"You actually jumped!" he shrieked. "With us! You plunged us down that rock into the pool! Have you no idea how high it is?!"

The clear, ringing laughter of the Balrog Slayer resounded across the water.

"Yes, elfling, I jumped," he smiled. "I was under the impression that you needed a taste of the danger you wanted to defy so offhandedly."

Elladan opened his mouth to swear, but he closed it again. He looked at Glorfindel incredulously.

"For punishment?" he asked, shocked.

"Rather consider it a valuable lesson," the Chief of Defenses replied seriously. "One day you will be chasing orcs and other vermin through the Misty Mountains, young one. When you find yourself on a ledge like Aragond, I want you to appreciate the distance you could fall should you lose your grip."

Elladan swallowed and slowly repressed all the curses he had been about to hurl at the Elf Lord. He turned to Elrohir, but his brother sat with his face away from them.

"El?" he asked hesitantly. Elrohir was crying.

Elladan made to sit down beside his twin, but Elrohir shrugged him off and walked a few yards into the woods. The older elfling glanced at Glorfindel for help when his brother sat down behind a tree and hugged his knees, whimpering.

The warrior gazed at his young charges and waited for a moment to see what would happen.

"Elrohir? What is it, elfling?" he then asked kindly, walking over to the trees and squatting beside the doleful child.

Elrohir hid his face in his arms and began to sob hysterically. The warrior placed his large hand on the youngster's head and gently pulled him into an embrace. "Come here, little one. Why are you crying?" Glorfindel comforted.

A choked whisper in his ear was followed by an incomprehensible wail and Elrohir wrapped his arms around the Balrog Slayer's neck like a vice.

"…hit you…so sorry…" the warrior managed to make out between the hiccups and desperate sobs.

Nodding in understanding, Glorfindel gently placed his fingers in the elfling's neck, shoving aside the damp strands of hair, and rubbed soothingly.

"You had a big scare, elfling," he consoled. "It is not uncommon for Elves and Men to react with fury after sudden exposure to a life-threatening situation. It is quite normal that you got angry, tithen pen."

"But I hit you..." Elrohir choked. "I punched you…I kicked your head!"

"That you did, elfling," Glorfindel smiled kindly. "You briefly lost control of yourself, my little warrior. Now, what are the rules for a warrior who loses control?"

Elrohir lifted his tearful face from Glorfindel's shoulder and glanced up into the loving eyes of his trainer. "Early morning exercise…" he whispered guiltily.

"Indeed," Glorfindel nodded, wiping the tears from Elrohir's face with his thumb. "I believe that a week of morning training is just what you need, young Elrondion. You will come to the training fields before sunrise, and we will make you run with the warriors."

Relief appeared in Elrohir's grey eyes. "Hannon le," he whispered gratefully. "Thank you, Glorfindel. Forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you," Glorfindel smiled. "Now come, let's sit with your brother in the warm sunlight and get dry."

O-o-O-o-O

The Seneschal of the Last Homely House frowned in dismay when three bedraggled Elves appeared in the hallway just before the meal was served.

"We're sorry, Erestor," Elladan muttered sincerely. "We wanted to get dry first, but the bells rang for supper. We came as fast as we could."

"I can see that," Erestor scowled, glancing from the mud under the elflings' boots to the trail in the hall. "You ran so fast you did not even watch your steps. Where have you been?"

The Seneschal glared at the highly amused warrior behind the twins, certain that the irritating blonde had something to do with it.

"In the valley of Aragond," Glorfindel grinned. " I took Elrohir and Elladan swimming."

Erestor rolled his eyes. "I suppose you had lost your concept of time then, my Lord Elf? Swimming? An hour before supper?" he chided sarcastically. He pointed a slender finger at the puddles of water on the polished floor. "And fully clothed? I _know_ you, Glorfindel! Am I wrong to suspect that you had no intention whatsoever to take the elflings into the water, but that _something_ made you decide to…how shall I say it…throw them in?"

The bark of laughter from the Chief of Defenses drew Elrond and Celebrían from the dining room. The twins were escorted to the bathing room to wash and change, while Glorfindel rushed to his own quarters and Erestor covered the steaming dishes on the table to keep them warm.

A few hours later, two tired but satisfied elflings kissed their parents good night. Downstairs, in Erestor's room, Glorfindel stretched before the fire and his ringing laughter was joined by the Seneschal's softer chuckles as he related the Tale of the Plunge.

Elrond closed the door of the elflings' bedroom and gently pulled Celebrían into his arms. "I had hoped that our children would not brave the leap off Aragond for another few decades," he confessed in a whisper, still slightly aghast. The beautiful elleth wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and kissed him tenderly. "I do not think it harmed them," she smiled. "Our sons have apologized for their reckless and disrespectful behaviour on Aragond, and I believe they truly meant it. Elrohir will be going to early morning training for a week and Elladan seems to have lost that recent wisp of arrogance we had been seeing. I confess that I secretly approve."

Elrond closed his eyes and smiled into his lover's hair. "Do you think I should speak with Glorfindel?" he asked softly, cupping her behind with his hands. Celebrían's tinkling laughter encouraged him to further his advances. "I will bake him a large pile of raspberry biscuits," she whispered back. "His favourite. He will understand."

As they slowly made their way back to the family sitting room, the youngest Peredhel lay listening until their footsteps had died away. His sharp elvish ears picked up the soft giggles on the landing, the hush of his father's robes on the higher steps and the sound of his mother's ring on the banisters. The slightly louder tone of conversation when his parents had reached the lower floor drifted up to him, soon muffled when the door of the sitting room closed. Now he was certain that no-one would hear him.

With one giant leap he pounced on Elladan and pressed him down on the bed.

"TELL me your plan, brother! NOW!"

**TBC**

Translations:

_Glorfindel ah Eärnur aphadar i Nazgûl...__ – Glorfindel and Eärnur follow the Ringwraith..._

_cram – a cake of compressed flour or meal (often containing honey or milk)_

_tithen pen – little one_

_Elrondion -- son of Elrond_

_hannon le -- thank you_

* * *

_A__uthor's Note:_

_Aragond_ is another one of my hobbyist Sindarin constructions. I made it up myself, but it is supposed to mean 'high rock'.

_Illuin_ is the commander in charge of the perimeter defenses of the Valley of Rivendell, borrowed with permission from Ithil-valon's 'Healing Hope' and 'Elladan's Trials For Estel'.

Esteliel


	4. The Plan

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 4 – The Plan**

The Eastern sky grew pale amidst the deep, blackness of night, when two little elflings silently slipped down the large, marble steps outside the doors of the Last Homely House. Erestor, still in his morning gown, sleepily closed the door behind them and tiptoed back into his room, snuggling in the warm embrace of his bed for at least another peaceful hour of sleep.

Today marked the long expected arrival of the Lord Celeborn of Lórien, father of the Lady Celebrían and grandfather of the twins. The Seneschal had planned and prepared the reception of this most honourable guest in detail. The largest guest room in the family quarters was awaiting the Sinda with the finest bedsheets and towels. The furniture, the books on the shelves, the wines and the decanters, yes, even the decorations in the room were precisely fitted to match the respected Elf Lord's taste.

A list of Lord Celeborn's favourite foods had been passed to the kitchen staff weeks ago. All the ingredients had been acquired in advance and were stored with greatest care to secure that the exquisite flavours were maintained. The Elf Lord's most favourite vegetables and fruits, which remained in the kitchen garden for freshness' sake, were guarded by hithlain nets and, at the Seneschal's insistance, even by Elven sentries, to guarantee that neither deer, slug, sparrow or coney, _nor_ – the Seneschal thought grimly – _a pair of elflings and their blonde companion in mischief_, would have a chance of ruining the feast for the Lord of Lothlórien.

Erestor pulled his blankets up to his chin and relaxed, allowing his eyes to gradually glaze over. Everything was taken care of this time. Nothing could possibly go wrong…

O-o-O-o-O

"This is the day," Elladan whispered excitedly as he walked on the dark path towards the stables with his brother. His gloved hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out the small bottle of Uruin extract they had pilfered from their father's apothecary.

"Not yet!" Elrohir warned, glancing around. "The night sentries may be watching."

The bottle returned to its warm nest in the fold of Elladan's tunic, where it peacefully bobbed up and down as the elflings ran to the thatched building in the back of the valley. As quietly as they could they opened the door and sneaked inside.

"Elladan? Is that you, my young Lord?" the stable master's voice came from the far corner.

The sons of Elrond nearly jumped out of their skins!

"Yes, Laedros, it is me and my brother," Elladan replied, attempting to regain his composure and inwardly damning the quiver in his voice.

"Come and see, little Masters. Moonlight of Eregion has foaled this night," came the soft, singing voice of the groom.

Momentarily forgetting their mission, the elflings rushed along the central aisle of the stables to the back.

"Easy now, young ones, you do not wish to startle them," the voice of Laedros chanted calmly.

By the flickering light of the oil lamp the twins stared open-mouthed at the black-haired foal, standing on wobbly legs beside its beautiful, pearly white mother.

"Aw…" Elrohir gasped, enthralled as the newborn blinked in wonder at the appearance of the nightly newcomers.

Moonlight of Eregion briefly gazed at the elflings and then calmly nuzzled her little one, breathing warm air from her nostrils and inhaling her offspring's sweet scent. The mare knew that the elves posed no threat and she sensed the genuine love and delight for her foal from these small ones.

Tearing his eyes from the endearing scene before him, Elladan nudged his twin.

"My brother will return to spend time with the foal _later_ in the day," he articulated, raising an eyebrow at his enamoured accomplice.

'We must not forget why we are here!' he conveyed with a nod of his head.

"Ai, Master Elrohir," the stable master chuckled. "I see you are dressed for morning training with the warriors? How many days until the end of your sentence?"

Elrohir blushed so that even the tips of his ears turned pink.

"Only today and tomorrow," he mumbled, studying his toes.

"I should say that, despite your discomfort, I have profited well from Lord Glorfindel's decree," Laedros spoke kindly, placing one of his large hands on Elrohir's head. "Understand, Master Elrohir: It was all to my benefit when your brother decided he would not be left behind in the house when his twin went running about the valley. I am glad that he decided to lend a hand in the stables while his twin is completing his early morning training."

Elrohir's blush deepened considerably and Elladan fumbled with the laces on his boots, avoiding eye-contact.

"You are much like your father, young Elrondion," Laedros directed at Elladan, nodding approvingly while he stroked the elfling's cheek. "Your Adar is wise and noble as an Elf Lord could be, and yet humble and caring of heart, never above getting his hands dirty to help out a simple stable master. When we first came to Imladris, your father was worn and troubled by the care for the wounded Elves and by the burden of leading the train of refugees. Still, in the dead of the night he would appear in the pen, asking me to describe the condition of the horses. I do not believe your Adar slept much in those days, young Masters. I will not forget seeing him on his knees in the straw, tending to the horses' wounds and speaking soft words to guide them to peace.

"Months later, when a wildfire raged through the forest surrounding the shelters we had built, your father was there in his night robes, beating at the flames and dragging water with all the other elves, even as he lead the offence against the raging blaze. I have seen your father plowing through the mud when torrential rains threatened to break a dam and flood our vegetable patches by the river. We had all but lost the Siege that day..."

The stable master's eyes obtained a distant expression as he remembered the first years in Imladris, when Sauron's armies had besieged the valley. Those had been dark and desperate years, but the community of homeless Elves had grown very close as they battled the continuous onslaught of the orcs and struggled to survive in the hidden dale.

"Even after centuries had passed and all was long back at peace, your father would still occasionally venture into the stables. While he questioned me about the fillies and colts and the training of the yearlings, he would hang his robes on the peg beside the door and take up a dung-fork, working beside me in companionable peace.

"So you see, you are much like your father, young Master Elladan," Laedros finished his tale. "I have been pleased to have you here in the stables with me."

It was Elladan's turn to blush fiercely now. He nervously plucked at his tunic.

As fascinating as this tale about his father was, the praise for himself was, to say the least, highly undeserved. Ever since Elrohir had begun his week of early morning training, Elladan had risen with his brother and helped the grooms. He had mucked out the stalls, hauled buckets of fresh water for Moonlight of Eregion, and he had even scrubbed the water channels from the brook to the stables. He had brushed and combed horses, braided manes, cleared out hooves and he had dutifully helped Laedros to tack up the warriors' mounts.

But it had all been part of the plan…

When Elladan had told his twin of the prank he had designed for Glorfindel, the brothers had soon concluded that there was one minor flaw in their scheme: How were they to get access to Glorfindel's saddle _before_ the warrior would mount it, but _after_ the grooms had tacked up the horse?

They could not risk any of the grooms getting hurt by the Uruin…

Eventually they had come up with a brilliant strategy: Elladan would insist on making himself useful while Elrohir went running. He would go to the stables to help out, and by the end of the week, no-one would think it fishy if he ventured near Glorfindel's tack.

Elladan guiltily glanced up into the stable master's kind eyes. Deep in his heart he made a vow to return to the stables, even after Elrohir's sentence was over and the prank was long behind them. Laedros deserved more. He silently decided to help Laedros more often in the coming times. He would gladly rise earlier and skip his breakfast with his parents to spend some time with the soft-spoken stable master.

The foal stumbled towards its mother and hesitantly began to drink. Laedros got to his feet and smiled at the elflings, who were one again entranced by the endearing scene before them.

"Well, young Masters," he sang, "the three of us had better leave these two some time to themselves. I have not been able to sleep this night, but I will at least be off to eat, wash myself and put on a clean tunic. Remember, today will be a big day for us all when your Daeradar arrives with his warriors!"

He nimbly leapt over the trough and waved his goodbye. "Good luck with your training, young Master Elrohir. Master Elladan, I will return as soon as I can."

O-o-O-o-O

Elrohir glanced out of the small stable window, where a soft greyish light was beginning to chase away the dark.

"I haven't much time," he whispered. "Glorfindel will be awaiting me."

"Then you must go," Elladan agreed hastily. "No need to alert him that you might have been _delayed_. He may want to know why. You know Glorfindel…"

Elrohir rolled his eyes and grabbed his brother's arm.

"Be careful, Elladan. Make sure you don't get burned."

"I will," Elladan promised.

"_Don't_ make any stains on your tunic, or we will be discovered."

"I won't," Elladan assured.

"And El?"

"What?"

"_Only_ on the top of the saddle…at the _back_!"

"Yes, Elrohir! Now go!" Elladan hissed. "Don't cross Glorfindel during your training. Ask him to tell you about his chase of the dragon near the _end_ of the morning exercise. Don't get too enthusiastic, for if Glorfindel thinks you no longer pay attention to your workout, he won't continue his tale. Keep asking him for details after he sends the warriors off on their duty and make sure to play 'the curious elfling tagging along' convincingly. You _must_ be with him when he goes to the barracks."

Elrohir glared. "I _know_, Elladan! It was _I_ who came up with this part of the plan, remember?"

Elladan carefully opened the door of the stables and glanced around. "The coast is clear," he whispered. "Now go!"

Elrohir slipped through the crack into the dark, grey light of approaching morning.

"El?"

"_What_, Elladan?"

"Make _sure_ that he puts on his gloves, or there will be hell to pay for both of us!"

O-o-O-o-O

Heaving a deep sigh and stretching his aching back, Elladan put aside the dung-fork and grabbed the broom. After preparing the empty stalls with fresh straw, fresh hay and clean water for the arrival of the Lothlórien horses, he was almost finished mucking out the rest of the stables.

He glanced out of the window.

The sun's pink-golden light was shining on the leaves of the trees. It would not be long before the warriors would complete their training. Hoping that his brother was doing well, he quickly swept the central aisle of the stables, removing any stray straws and sprigs of hay to make it look orderly and clean.

His ears were perked for the sounds of the grooms in the tack room. Most of the warriors' horses were saddled and patiently awaiting their riders. But Eirien Malloth, Glorfindel's magnificent mare, was still in her stall, her ears twitching much like Elladan's, eager to be out with the other horses.

Placing the broom back where it belonged, Elladan quickly brushed the bits of straw off his tunic and trousers and rebraided his hair to look presentable. His heart beat loudly in his throat and his stomach was fervently making backflips. Everything depended on this one single question. If Laedros said no…

Taking a steadying breath and forcing down his nerves, Elladan ventured into the large tack room, where several horses were standing beside each other, waiting for the elven grooms to saddle them.

Elladan slipped between two horses and handed Laedros the leather thong he would be fastening next. The stable master softly spoke to the horse and gently tugged on the strap. Unwilling to be wearing a saddle this early in the morning, the horse breathed in deeply and expanded its chest as much as it could, making the strap too short to be fitted.

Elladan smiled and expertly pressed his little fingers into the horse's hairy belly, tickling the drowsy mount. The chestnut stallion snorted and relaxed, which was the cue for Laedros to pull the strap and fasten the mithril clasp.

The stallion turned his large head around and nuzzled Elladan affectionately, begging for a treat. Giggling, Elladan reached out to caress the equine behind the ears.

"I will bring you a carrot after your duty," he promised.

The chestnut gave Elladan a gentle shove and looked up at Laedros, who chortled.

"No, my sweet one. You will not have a treat from me either. You will await your turn, as will the others."

Elladan glanced up at the groom.

"Laedros? May I go and saddle Eirien Malloth in her ceremonial tack? Glorfindel will be meeting Daerada and the delegation from Lothlórien at the Ford of Bruinen this afternoon. I would like to make Eirien look extra beautiful today, in honour of my grandfather and as a surprise for Glorfindel."

The young Peredhel tried hard not to blush at this little white lie. There _would_ be a surprise for Glorfindel all right, and the surprise was very much in honour of his grandfather. But Elladan suddenly hated to deceive Laedros in this way. The young Elf decided to make Eirien look extra beautiful indeed, just to make the lie a little more truthful.

Laedros lovingly smiled down at the eager elfling's face. "That is very attentive of you, Master Elladan. I am certain that Lord Glorfindel and your Daeradar will approve. Need you any help carrying the ceremonial tack and saddle?"

Elladan's brain flashed forward, imagining Laedros carrying the heavy horse gear for him and then offering to help with the saddling of Eirien.

"No, thank you, Master Laedros," he politely declined, skipping towards the door. "I would like to do it all by myself."

Chuckling at the elfling's willingness to please, the stable master continued his work with the warhorses.

O-o-O-o-O

Outside the door, Elladan could not believe his luck. He forced himself to keep his face straight, lest one of the grooms would notice his delight and find it suspicious, but inwardly his chest was just exploding with excitement.

"Hello Eirien Malloth," he greeted when he approached her stall with a third of the tack. The ceremonial tack was so elaborate that he had to walk thrice to fetch it all.

The stately mare curiously snuffled at the decorations in Elladan's hands.

"For you," Elladan sang in a perfect imitation of Laedros' voice. "We will make you look beautiful today, sweet lady of the flower house."

Eirien's ears moved forward, intrigued by the love and praise that were heaped on her. She gently lowered her nose to the top of Elladan's head and inhaled his scent. Oh, but this was the one who had spent several hours brushing her fur and braiding her manes the other day! She liked this small one! He was not Glorfindel, and he was certainly not Laedros, but she loved those gentle, little hands!

Bending one of her hind legs, she relaxed and allowed the ministrations of the little Elf. She loved being dressed up in her ceremonial tack. It always made the Firstborn look at her with even more respect than usual.

Elladan kept singing to the delighted mare while he climbed around on the wooden cross beams to put all of the head gear and the long, embroidered caparison in place. He carefully placed the small, thin leather saddle on Eirien's back, and briefly thought of the bottle in his pocket.

No, not yet. He still had too many straps to secure. He might stain his clothing, and then the scheme would be discovered.

Eirien had no qualms about letting the elfling fasten her saddle's girth. She was going for a ride with Glorfindel, she was certain of that. And it would not be the impressive Elf Lord alone who would be gaining all the Elves' attention, as she knew from experience. The Golden One was often showered with praise for the magnificent horse he rode, and today would be another one of those highly enjoyable days, she sensed.

"Hold very still now, Daisy," Elladan whispered. He was mounted on top of a high cross beam beside her and gently patted her neck. He had put his leather gloves back on and lifted the bottle of Uruin from his pocket.

"Only at the back," Elrohir had argued the previous day.

Initially the brothers had meant to cover all the leather of the saddle with Uruin. The thick, white fabric of Glorfindel's riding pants, which he wore with his ceremonial robes, would protect him easily. But, Elladan thought with twinkling eyes, it would not protect him from displaying a very red behind to the Riders of Lórien.

"_When I return, I expect my grandsons to avenge me for this serious dent in my pride. __I will be counting on you," _Daerada had said.

At the end of their grandparents' last visit, Glorfindel and Daerada had bantered over the evening wine about the 'most regal and impressive way to mount a horse'. They had continued their debate on the morning of departure, and intending to impress not just Glorfindel, but all the other Imladris Elves as well, Celeborn had gracefully demonstrated his most elegant and authoritative leap into the saddle.

However, aided by a simple, perforated waterskin, conveniently hidden underneath the long silk cover hanging over Celeborn's saddle, the clever and prankish Balrog Slayer had made the landing far from 'regal'.

Daerada had looked like an elfling who had forgotten to go!

Elladan smirked at the memory. He, Glorfindel and Elrohir had laughed themselves to tears. Naneth had turned all pink, Ada had fallen prey to a severe coughing attack and Erestor's hands had hung limpy by his side, his mouth and eyes wide open.

Galadriel's deep laughter had sounded across the court yard. She had smiled an enigmatic smile at her husband and with a loving tilt of her head and twinkling eyes had urged Lord Celeborn to return to the guest chambers.

Only after the Lord of Lothlórien had dismounted had Erestor come out of his stupor and rushed forward, pulling off his robe to drape it around the Sinda's waist.

Elladan chuckled. Daerada had been far from happy. He had not been hurt physically, but he had heard the Imladris Guard chuckling under their breath. For an Elf of over 6,000 years, Daerada's ears were still as sharp as ever and he had scowled in a most dangerous way at any warrior who dared as much as look at him.

While Celeborn had been changing, Elrohir had softly voiced his concern that there would be a rift between the Balrog Slayer and his grandfather now, but Galadriel had laughed it away. "Your Daerada is merely reaping what he has sown," she had crooned. "A little water to cool off his sizable ego will not hurt him."

The elflings had watched with interest how the adults had exchanged secret looks of approval. Even Ada had laughed in Naneth's embrace, and Erestor, after returning from the house with a regal Elf Lord in dry leggings, had been biting the inside of his lip.

Daerada had spared them a fleeting glance and had motioned for his grandsons to follow him aside.

"The House of Celeborn of Doriath will not stand for this," he had announced with gravely wounded pride. The elflings had seen the mischievous smile playing in their grandfather's eyes, but then his tone had become very serious. In whispered tones he had reminded them of their fealty to their ancestors' line and entrusted them with the task of his revenge.

Ada had raised a questioning eyebrow upon their return, reacting to the fleeting smug expression on Lord Celeborn's face, which his grandsons failed to see. But then it had been time for goodbyes, and Ada's frown had been forgotten.

Elladan carefully pulled the stopper from the bottle.

"Only on the back of the saddle," he whispered, dripping the Uruin onto the leather and rubbing it across the area where Glorfindel's backside would later be.

Elrohir had objected to spreading the Uruin over all the leather parts of the saddle, as Elladan had originally intended. "If his clothing stains red in the front, he will notice too soon," Elrohir had thrown in. "It is a long way to the Ford of Bruinen. He must not notice until he meets with Daerada and his warriors, lest he turns back and changes his clothes!"

Elladan had agreed, though reluctantly. He had to admit that this prank was too risky, and there was too much at stake – his grandfather's honour! – to take a chance of early discovery. Glorfindel's red backside would immediately give away the culprits, for Ada had not yet forgotten the incident with the Uruin. But whatever punishment Ada would mete out: the brothers were determined to bear it with stoic pride. "For Daerada," they had agreed. Yet they would not have that sacrifice be for nothing!

Unaware of the elfling's scheme to prank her master, Eirien munched on a bit of hay. Gazing down at the pristine saddle, the elfling waited until the Uruin on its surface had dried. Never leaving stains on leather, the Uruin extract seemed to disappear without a trace. But Elladan knew better. The powdery substance would still be there, nearly invisible, even to the eyes of elves.

Carefully taking off his gloves and pushing them into an old, leather bag he had pilfered from the tack room for this purpose, making sure they were securely inside before he diverted his attention, Elladan finished his precarious job and jumped down to the ground. He could hear the warriors coming back from their morning training. They would wash themselves, change into their uniforms and then begin their duty.

The horses, all awaiting their arrival, grew restless.

Eirien perked her ears for the first sound of Glorfindel's voice.

"El, make sure he wears his gloves," Elladan whispered inwardly. He stayed with Eirien a little longer, patting her soft fur as he waited for the sounds of the warriors to disappear into the barracks. Then he got to his feet and walked to the back of the stables.

It was time for the next step of the plan…

Lord Celeborn was in for a very special surprise!

**TBC**

Translations:

_hithlain – mist-thread (a substance used by the Elves of Lothlórien to make strong ropes)_

_Elrondion – son of Elrond_

_adar – father_

_daerada – granddad_

_peredhel – half-elven _

_naneth – mother_

AN: The name of Glorfindel's mare, Eirien Malloth, is partly real Sindarin _('Eirien', which means 'daisy')_ and partly my amateur Sindarin _('Malloth', which I have derived from 'mall' meaning gold and 'loth' meaning flower)_

So the name of the horse is 'Daisy Golden Flower', a name I thought fitting for Glorfindel's mount.

_**This chapter is dedicated to my copper-haired sister. Never fear, elfling, I will always love you. Ae ú-esteliach nad, estelio han, estelio veleth.**__** Esteliel**_


	5. Tears and Dragons

**A ****Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 5 – Tears and Dragons**

Birds sang cheerfully in the bright morning sun as Elrohir skipped ahead of Glorfindel towards the barracks.

"And then, Glorfindel?" he asked excitedly. "Did Maedhros manage to unite the Elves?"

"He almost did," Glorfindel smiled. "Most of the Noldor believed in his plans. Morgoth _had _to be vanquished. The strength of Morgoth lay in dividing the Elves and his evil was spreading through our lands. Nearly all the Elves joined in what was known as the Union of Maedhros. A great number of Men joined us, too."

"But King Thingol did not come, did he?" Elrohir asked, jumping up the steps to the barracks.

"No, Thingol was not fond of Maedhros," Glorfindel agreed. "But he did send Beleg and Mablung."

"And the Elves of Nargothrond wanted to remain hidden," Elrohir prompted.

"They did," Glorfindel nodded. "Although Gwindor did come from Nargothrond with a small company."

"But King _Turgon_ did _not_ remain hidden!" Elrohir exclaimed proudly, holding open the door for his friend.

Glorfindel had been one of the captains of Gondolin's army. Together with Ecthelion and Turgon he had led the host of the Gondolindrim onto the plains of Anfauglith, where three great hosts of Elves and Elf-Friends assailed Angband, the stronghold of Morgoth.

Glorfindel closed his eyes at the memory of the great defeat. 'The Battle of Unnumbered Tears' it had later been called. The Elves had been deceived. Spies of Morgoth had infiltrated the hosts of Maedhros. By deceit and cunning the Three Hosts of the Eldar had been driven apart.

"Maedhros was late, and Fingon was provoked," Elrohir chirupped, helpfully unlacing Glorfindel's boots as the warrior sank down on a chair. "But _Turgon_ was great. He came with an army ten thousand strong, and they had bright mail shining in the sun and long swords! And their spears were like a forest! As far as you could see!"

Glorfindel smiled down on the elfling, who chattered in delight about his heroic concept of the infamous Fifth Battle. The truth, however, had been far from that.

Provoked by the brutal murder of his brother before his eyes, Gwindor had rushed into battle. Fingon, leader of one of the Three Hosts of the Eldar, had sounded his trumpets for the charge and broken the line of defense of the Noldor. The armies of Hithlum had swiftly smitten down the armies of Morgoth and bravely fought their way even to the Gates of Angband. But they had been trapped.

By many secret doors in Thangorodrim, Morgoth had sent forth his main army, which he had kept hidden. Gwindor's warriors were all slain and Fingon had been forced to retreat.

"Then Turgon came to the aid of his brother Fingon," Elrohir announced. "The ranks of the Gondolindrim shone like a river of steel in the sun, breaking through the lines of the Orcs. Turgon hewed his way to the side of his brother, and hope was rekindled in the hearts of the Elves."

Glorfindel chuckled when he recognized Erestor's prose in Elrohir's words. The young one had obviously paid attention to his lessons.

"Oh yes, elfling, our hope was renewed," he remembered, getting to his feet and pulling off his tunic. "And it was kindled even more when silver trumpets rang through the air and greeted us in the morning. The Host of Maedhros had finally arrived. The Three Hosts of the Eldar were together at last."

"But _then_," Elrohir said pointedly, "the _dragons_ came."

'Ah!' Glorfindel thought. Now they were coming to the crux of the matter. Dragons. An all-time elfling favourite, it seemed.

"Tell me how you slew the dragon, Glorfindel. Please?" Elrohir pleaded.

Glorfindel looked into the eager eyes of the youngster and chuckled.

"What if I tell you and Elladan tonight?" he offered, slipping off his leggings and stepping into the shower. "You have to return to the House and refresh yourself, elfling."

Elrohir's eyes grew large, a mild sensation of panic rising in his stomach.

"But I want to hear it _now!_" he pleaded. "Will you please tell me now? Daerada will arrive before dinner, so _he_ will be telling the fire side stories this evening."

Glorfindel pulled the iron string and enjoyed the cool water, channeled to the barracks from the waterfalls, raining down on him.

He glanced at the elfling.

"Would you like to take a warrior's shower then"? he inquired.

"Oh yes!" Elrohir beamed. He hurriedly pulled off his boots, tunic, breeches and underthings and slipped into the shower beside Glorfindel.

"Ai! _Edhring!_" the elfling exclaimed. As an Elf, the near freezing waters from the mountains did not harm him. But his senses were keener than a Mortal's and he certainly noticed the difference between the soothing hot waters of his evening bath, and this.

"Here," the warrior chuckled, pouring a liberal quantity of calendula shampoo on the elfling's black hair. He continued washing his own hair while the young Peredhel carefully copied his every move.

"The dragon, Glorfindel," Elrohir reminded, after the warrior had rinsed both the golden and raven tresses.

Glorfindel grinned and began: "When the host of Maedhros came upon the Orcs and the Three Hosts of the Eldar united, the enemy forces were stayed. The masses of Orcs turned to flee and victory was almost in our hands. But Morgoth the Enemy set loose his final trump. We were assailed by wargs and warg-riders, Balrogs and dragons."

"And Glaurung!" Elrohir chirped over the noise of the falling water.

'And Glaurung,' Glorfindel thought, remembering the death and terror spread by the evil Great Worm, Father of all Dragons, first of Morgoth's scaly, dangerous creations.

"The vile creatures of Morgoth came between the armies of Maedhros and Fingon and forced them apart. Aided by the Dwarves, Maedhros and his brothers withstood the onslaught, but they were assailed from within their own ranks."

"The Dwarves wore special masks, did they not?" Elrohir inquired.

Glorfindel reached for a bottle of rosemary oil and offered it to his young charge.

"They did," he nodded. "They always wore horrendous great masks when they went into battle. It protected them from the heat of the Dragon Fire. Azaghâl the Dwarf Lord valiantly drove a knife in the belly of Glaurung, wounding him deeply."

"And then Glaurung fled from the field!" Elrohir exclaimed, rubbing the oil in his skin with the same even movements as the Elf Lord. "And all the other beasts of Morgoth followed him, leaving the Noldor in peace."

"And therefore it was but for the courage and skill of the Dwarves that the Noldor survived," Glorfindel nodded.

"But _you_ slew a dragon," Elrohir chirped, with awe in his eyes.

"Not one as large and dangerous as Glaurung," Glorfindel replied quietly, reaching for a towel and stepping from the shower.

The dragon had killed and burned many Elves in its path as it had walked towards Turgon. At times, in his dreams, their agonized screams still echoed in his ears. He had abandoned his horse, for in the face of such terror the valiant animal had been unable to press forward. Shouting orders to his second-in-command, he had run to the side of the brutal beast. Ecthelion's left wing had challenged the young worm, assailing it with arrows and hewing at its feet.

"When Ecthelion's Elves drew the attention of the dragon away from my King, I slipped between its feet and drove my sword in its belly," Glorfindel murmured, lost in his thoughts.

"That was so _brave_ of you!" Elrohir gasped, poking his head out of the shower. He quickly pulled the second string to stop the flow of the water and ran to his friend.

"Glorfindel, you could have been killed!"

The thoughtful warrior gazed at the dripping wet elfling, standing before him as naked as a newborn.

"I meant to protect my King," he whispered hoarsely, forcing himself from his stupor and rising to walk to the closet. He fetched another towel and wrapped it around Elrohir.

"Turgon was the father of Idril, who was the mother of Eärendil, your grandfather," he reminded, rubbing the young Peredhel until his skin was glowing. "I could not let Gondolin fall."

Elrohir gazed at him as silent tears trickled from Glorfindel's eyes.

"Thank you, Glorfindel, for protecting my family and our people," the grandson of Eärendil whispered, overcome by emotion. He wrapped his little arms tightly around the warrior's neck and for a moment he considered warning Glorfindel of their prank.

"You are very welcome, little one," Glorfindel whispered back, wrapping his strong arms around the elfling, nuzzling the wet hair. "I would not have missed you, or your brother…or your _father_," he added with a loving smile, "for all the gold and mithril in Arda."

Elrohir planted a long, loud kiss on the warrior's cheek and pressed himself firmly against the strong, broad body.

"I am glad you are with us, Glorfindel," he sighed, content when the hug was returned. But suddenly ten strong, playful fingers tickled his sides, and with a loud shriek Elrohir tried to launch himself back to the floor.

"So am I, elfling. But now it is time to get dressed," Glorfindel chuckled, holding on to the wiggling imp in his arms. "I cannot greet your Daerada naked, now can I?"

He released his squealing bundle of energy and walked to a drawer, pulling out a spare tunic.

"Here, see if this will fit you."

Elrohir giggled when Glorfindel's large tunic slid over his head, both sleeves and hem reaching down to his ankles.

"We can remedy that," the warrior laughed, as he expertly rolled up the sleeves. "Now go get your belt and tie it around your waist. There, that should do."

Reminded, suddenly, of his task, Elrohir glanced at the cupboard.

"Are your ceremonial robes in there?" he asked innocently.

"Come and look," Glorfindel invited, swinging open the door and revealing the shining white garments.

Elrohir climbed on a stool and watched as Glorfindel pulled out the sturdy white riding pants with the embroidered garlands of flowers around the legs.

Then came a creamy white undershirt, a white and gold brocade tunic, a white coloured short sash with golden embroidery, and a pair of creamy white high leather boots.

Elrohir glanced at the silver, gold and blue garments that were still in the cupboard: the attire of the commanders of Rivendell. He fingered the leather vests, the mithril chain-mail, the metalic overlapping breast plates, and the silk of the cloaks.

His eyes wandered up and he spotted the brown leather gloves of the Rivendell attire, lying brotherly next to three pairs of Glorfindel's pristine white gloves: Leather ones, silk ones and cotton ones…

O-o-O-o-O

Elladan watched as the warriors entered the stables and greeted their horses. He smiled as the horses whickered softly in greeting, nuzzling their riders and – in the case of the chestnut – begging for treats. When the last of the riders had left the stables to begin their duties, he went to find Laedros.

Throwing one last glance at Moonlight of Eregion and her foal, he walked down the corridor to the airy room at the back of the stables, where the grooms were sitting together, enjoying a drink.

"Laedros, may I please bring Eirien to Glorfindel?" he pleaded, trying to ignore the blush that crept onto his cheeks as the stable hands watched him with interest. Being the son of the Lord of Imladris, he was supposed to feel comfortable in front of an audience. "You will learn," Ada had smiled, when he had complained about that awful red tinge of his.

"Ah, you wish to show Lord Glorfindel your work?" Laedros sang soflty, amusement evident in the gentle, knowing eyes. "I will come and tell Daisy to follow you, then."

As the stable master and the elfling walked back to the stalls, Elladan nervously wondered if Laedros would want to check the saddle, or the straps. 'If he does, I must confess about the Uruin,' he thought.

But no. The calm, loving hands of the stable master caressed Eirien's nose and he whispered to the mare that Elladan would take her to her Lord.

Eirien Malloth rotated her ears from the stable master to the elfling with interest. Oh well, she would follow him, if Laedros said so, she thought. If it meant she was going to Glorfindel…why not?

Relieved, delighted and a little bit anxious to see if the prank would work out, Elladan opened the door of the stall. He whistled through his teeth and the stately mare stepped out into the morning, pausing briefly to enjoy the sun's light reflecting on her white fur and on the white-golden embroidered caparison. She knew that she looked magnificent, and that she was a vision of pure beauty in the eyes of the Elves. And she relished it!

Giggling about the vain, self-admiring horse behind him, Elladan walked up the path to the barracks, dutifully followed by the Lady of the Flower House.

O-o-O-o-O

Realizing that they would be discovered should Glorfindel pick gloves made of the wrong kind of fabric, Elrohir had snatched the leather gloves from the shelf and jumped to the ground. He had casually placed them on Glorfindel's chair, beside the elaborate mithril necklace that symbolized the Golden One's status as Chief of Defenses, and had waited while the warrior was braiding his hair.

"Wud yuh pweese fitch me duh box wiz meedril clasps?" Glorfindel mumbled with a leather band between his lips, his fingers full of several golden strands.

When the mithril clasps were in place, the warrior gracefully donned the long, white velvet ceremonial cloak with the golden flowers embroidered on the hem. It was fastened in the front, but it was split in the back, all the way up to the top of the shoulder blades, enabling the wearing of a quiver with the attire.

Elrohir watched as Glorfindel bent down to retrieve his sword from the chair. The cloak slid open and the prominent, cotton-clad backside of the warrior was briefly displayed.

Suppressing a giggle as he thought of the pristine posterior all decorated in red, Elrohir skipped to the door of the barracks to see if there was a sign of his brother.

"Your gloves," he reminded, holding his breath to see if the warrior would take them. 'If he doesn't put them on, I will have to tell him about the Uruin,' he thought. He would never let Glorfindel come to harm. Ever.

But no. Without a second thought the warrior slipped on his leather protection, entirely unaware of the wave of relief that spread through the elfling.

"Are you not going to take your clothes back to the house?" Glorfindel inquired, wrapping the bundle in a towel and handing it to his young charge. "Your Naneth will want these back, I suppose."

Elrohir tucked the bundle under his arms and skipped down the stairs to where Elladan was waiting with Eirien, giving his brother the two thumbs up. "Do you think that Daerada would dare jump off Aragond?" he asked innocently, placing his hand in Glorfindel's paw.

"Hmm…" Glorfindel mused, eyes sparkling. "I personally think that Lord Celeborn would _wet_ himself…"

**TBC**

Translations:

_edhring __– freezing cold (adjective)_

_naneth - mother_

AN: Glorfindel's tale of the 'Battle of Unnumbered Tears', aka 'Nirnaeth Arnoediad', is almost completely canon. See J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Quenta Silmarillion' in 'The Silmarillion.' The only non-canon part is Glorfindel slaying the dragon. This I made up.


	6. The Prank

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 6 – The Prank**

"Hello Beautiful! Are you ready for a walk?" Glorfindel crooned to his horse, carressing her nose. "Now _who_ went to all these lengths to dress you so stunningly, I wonder? Look at those mithril clasps in your manes! We match each other perfectly today, my little Eirien!"

Eirien Malloth made to nuzzle the warrior fondly, but Glorfindel jumped aside, offering a leather-gloved hand for her to snuffle instead.

"I must keep my robes clean, sweet Daisy," he chuckled, blowing softly into her nostrils. "I cannot have stains on my attire when the Lord of Lothlórien arrives, now can I? What would Erestor say? Hm?"

He gently rubbed the mare between her ears, clicking his tongue and murmuring soft words as he checked all the straps of the saddle – thus failing to notice the bright shade of puce that appeared on the faces of the twins.

Elrohir firmly stepped on Elladan's toes, suitably disposing of the mad fit of giggles that threatened to spill from his brother. Clenching his fists behind his back, he supressed the guffaws of delight that adamantly pushed their way up in his chest.

"Elrohir, whatever _are_ you wearing?" Elladan gasped, unable to hold back his chuckles and faking the cause of his mirth.

"Would you be so kind not to insult my tunic?" Glorfindel commented dryly from under Eirien's belly, where he was checking the girth.

He knew that the elven grooms were more than precise when it came to securing the saddle straps – as was Elladan, young as he was. But checking his life-lines had become second-nature to him through the years of innumerable battles and patrols. His life – and the lives of those who depended on him – could be decided in a mere matter of seconds, and thus be influenced by the state of his gear, his weapons and his interaction with his horse.

He always checked twice…

Securing his sword to his saddle, he turned to the twins.

"Must you laugh thus at your brother's new outfit?" he inquired, raising an amused eyebrow at the giggling older Elrondion. "I agree that your current appearance far outshines Elrohir's, Elladan. But when it comes to your smell, elfling…"

The warrior's voice trailed off in a wide toothy grin as he stole a sprig of hay from Elladan's tunic.

"Well, elflings, I will be off now to welcome your grandfather at the Ford of Bruinen. Remember, Elrohir: Tomorrow is your last day of early morning exercise. You will not be excused from your task – Daerada here or not."

Elrohir blushed under Glorfindel's kind but stern gaze. Daerada would ask questions…and hear of his outburst in the Vale of Aragond. His parents had long spoken to him about the way he had kicked Glorfindel's head. Ada and Naneth had been willing to overlook all else, weighing the fact that Elrohir would be disciplined the warrior's way. But the kick against the head had been bad.

"You could have done serious harm," Ada had reprimanded sternly, a grave expression on his face unlike any his youngest had seen.

What would Daerada say?

Suddenly it dawned on him that Daerada's words would be the least of his concerns before nightfall. As soon as Glorfindel's red behind was revealed, Ada would know it was them. Elrohir squirmed. Taking herbs from the apothecary without asking was strictly forbidden. Besides, Ada would certainly never countenance the use of Uruin for their schemes, no matter how noble the intent.

They were in for a _lot_ of trouble… '_For Daerada!'_

Heaving a guilty sigh, he nodded at his trainer. "I will be there before sunrise," he mumbled.

"Good," Glorfindel smiled, recognizing the guilt that was doing its work in the mind of his charge. "Now Elladan, elfling, have yourself a bath, mellon nín. Your mother will be eager to scrub that orcish scent off your back."

Elladan scowled indignantly, but giggled when the warrior sent him a wink. He impatiently twisted his braids and tried to keep still. When would Glorfindel finally mount up? He wished to see!

"Elrohir, you are welcome to wear my tunic today," the warrior grinned.

"He shall," laughed a clear, tinkling voice from behind them. "I am sure that his Daerada will be highly amused!"

Celebrían came walking up the path, looking for her sons.

Realizing – at once – the danger this entailed, the twins rushed forward and hugged their mother fondly, using the endearment to exchange an unseen, conspiring glance behind her back. They needed to remove their mother from Glorfindel's presence, quickly! If Glorfindel mounted and Nana saw his backside while he rode away...

"Tag! You're it!" Elladan piped, tapping his mother on her shoulder and storming down the path with his brother.

"Race you to the house, Nana!" Elrohir squealed, dashing away between the trees.

Ah! Celebrían would not be Celebrían, daughter of Celeborn and child of the Galadhrim, if she would not respond to this challenge. Smiling apologetically at Glorfindel and grinning from ear to ear, she ran after her sons.

"First one I catch gets his ears washed!" she called.

"Nana!" came two distant, indignant cries of protest.

Glorfindel chuckled and glanced at his faithful horse.

"Shall we?" he smiled.

O-o-O-o-O

Reaching the top of the steps beside the house, Elrohir and Elladan gazed down to catch a glimpse of their trainer. But…

"What's he doing now?" Elladan exclaimed indignantly.

Elrohir pulled at his sleeve and they raced back down the stairs in a hurry. Naneth had caught them before they had gotten far, and had sent them ahead to the house while she spoke with a seamstress. But Naneth wasn't here...

Bolting down the hill towards the path across the Bridge, the twins of Lord Elrond ignored their mother's orders and ran after their friend.

"Glorfindel, aren't you _riding?_" Elladan called.

The warrior turned around and smiled when he saw his young shadows approaching.

"No, today is such a lovely day, I have decided I shall walk," he replied cheerfully, resuming his song about the beauties of the Vale.

Elrohir stopped in his tracks.

"Walk?" he echoed. "To the _Bruinen?_" Had the warrior gone mad?

"You're a _commander_, Glorfindel! Commanders always _ride_," Elladan pressed, hurrying to catch up with his friend.

"Since when?" Glorfindel challenged, smiling down at the elfling beside him.

"Since…always!" Elladan countered, determined to achieve his success. "Have you ever heard a tale of an Elf Lord arriving on foot beside his horse?"

Glorfindel chuckled and whistled to Eirien, who had fallen behind to nuzzle Elrohir.

"I have not. But have _you_ ever heard of an Elf who found no joy in walking below the trees, or in stooping to smell the flowers, or in the caress of the breeze?" he smiled at Elladan.

Momentarily speechless, Elladan glanced at his brother.

"But Glorfindel, what if Daerada and his warriors reach Bruinen early today? You'll be late if you walk!" quipped Elrohir from behind.

Glorfindel laughed. It seemed that Erestor's concern about protocol was rubbing off on the twins at last.

"Have no worries, little Seneschals," he smiled. "Our scouts have reported that the party from Lothlórien was camped on the borders of the Angle last night. They shall not be at the Ford before noon. I will be able to walk at my leisure, and even speak with the sentries on the way as I progress."

Recognizing the imminent defeat, Elladan played out his final, desperate trump. Crossing his arms, he procured his most convincing scowl and muttered, in a slightly whining tone:

"I have spent a lot of time tacking up Eirien for you. Was it all for nothing, then?"

Glorfindel threw his head back and laughed good-naturedly.

"I thank you, Elladan, for your work," he said sincerely. "Once I meet with the Elves of Lothlórien, I will mount up and ride Eirien back to the house as I escort your grandfather. I am very happy that you tacked up my Daisy for me, and I will remember to tell Lord Celeborn of your efforts. Does that please you?"

The grey eyes of the elfling widened in delight.

"Oh yes! That would be great!" Elladan exclaimed happily, bouncing on his feet.

"Um…we have to be off now. Nana told us to go to the bathing room," Elrohir warned quietly from the rear.

Behind them on the path stood a very angry looking Celebrían.

"Then you had better hurry," Glorfindel smiled. "Scoot!"

He chuckled as the elflings ran back to their mother, the sound of their scolding soon drowned by the roaring of the Falls as he walked across the Bridge.

O-o-O-o-O

"Sit still, Elladan!" Celebrían exclaimed. For the third time that minute her son had twisted from under her hands as she tried to wash his mane. She glanced through the door to the bedroom, where Elrond was needing an equal amount of patience braiding Elrohir's hair.

"Don't turn your head, ion nín," Elrond sighed, releasing the strands and beginning anew.

"Will I wear a tunic like El's?" Elladan asked, splashing water over the edge of the tub as he reached for his toy boats.

"Of course you will!" Celebrían replied, lathering her son's tresses as he sailed his boat across the waves of the tub. "You always do."

"But I like burgundy better than grey, blue and green!" Elladan protested. "I want to wear _different_ clothes!"

"Elladan; grey, blue and green are the colours of Lothlórien and Rivendell," Elrond spoke sternly from the bedroom. "You shall wear these garments for Lord Celeborn's arrival and departure, my son. As is custom."

Shrugging, Elladan turned around to let his ship make huge waves, while Celebrían tried her hardest to rinse the shampoo from his hair.

"Elrohir! Stop bouncing!" came Elrond's exasperate cry.

Celebrían glanced through the door at the innocent face of her youngest, who wiggled around on the bed as his father adjusted the laces on his sleeves.

"I am the first one dressed!" Elrohir clamoured, bouncing on the bed when his father had finally given him the 'okay'. "I get an extra dessert!"

"That's not fair!" Elladan cried loudly. And before his mother could prevent it, he leapt out of the tub and slipped on the soapy, watery floor.

"Elladan!" Elrond and Celebrían exclaimed in unison. Celebrían grasped her son's arm before he could fall to the ground.

"Give me a towel, Nana, I want to get dressed!" Elladan urged, forgetting the dirt on his skin.

"Elladan Peredhel, you will get back in the tub," Elrond spoke sternly. "You have not yet been washed and I do _not_ permit smudgy elflings to sit at my table and have their dessert."

"But Ada…"

"You will do as I say, Elladan," Elrond warned tersely, knowing his son. He frowned when Celebrían gasped in dismay and pointed behind him.

There, like a Bat on the Bed, Elrohir was standing on his head. Feet elegantly up to the ceiling, braids once more a mess…

O-o-O-o-O

Glorfindel descended the final slope to the Ford of the Bruinen. Away in the distance on the hill, a good mile from the bank, he spotted the banners of Lothlórien under the shadow of the pine-trees.

He smiled as he imagined the scene that would unfold in a mere half an hour. Lord Celeborn of Lórien would regally ride across the Ford and, as custom decreed, Glorfindel would formally speak the words of welcome from his Lord. They would exchange the Elven Blessing, and the Elves of Lothlórien would ride in formation behind their Lord towards the Valley, with Glorfindel leading the way.

It was then that he would have to be careful…

Trust Celeborn to settle their score at the first opportunity…or perhaps not, he chuckled. The rascal was cunning! Lulling his prey in a false sense of security and striking out of the blue was a skill that the Sinda had honed to perfection.

He had first met Lord Celeborn in the Battle of Eregion. When Sauron had come for the rings, Gil-galad had sent Elrond at the head of a large army, bringing aid to the Elves of Hollin. Until help had arrived, the silver-haired Sinda had led the attacks on the Orcs. His outnumbered warriors had stood between the forces of Mordor and the Noldorin city of Ost-In-Edhil. The city had fallen, and Elrond had led the refugees north, while Celeborn and Glorfindel had battled off the pursuit. The survivors had hidden in the Vale of Imladris, and by the side of Lord Elrond and Glorfindel, Lord Celeborn had led the defense of the valley during the years of the Siege.

Glorfindel chuckled. They had immediately hit it off.

Celeborn – like himself – was an incredible warrior and strategist. He was wise, kind, gentle and yet a most dangerous foe to cross for his enemies. Most notably: the Elf Lord delighted in mischief! It was a trait that the two of them shared…and a trait that they relished!

Both of the Elf Lords, the golden-haired and the silver one, possessed the inherent ability to notice when others were far too caught up in a haze of seriousness, rigidity or monotony. They teased, bantered and lovingly played mischief to lighten the mood and bring smiles to sullen faces.

And they loved it to no end!

Now the regal, solemn Lord of Lothlórien, Celeborn had far less opportunity to play pranks than his golden-haired friend. It was a small difference he ingeniously made clear during the bulk of his visits. No-one in Imladris was safe from Lord Celeborn, as the Commanders of Rivendell all knew without exception.

Oh, the Elf-Lord did prank his Sindarin advisors, and even his wife! But Galadriel had a knack for sensing what he was up to, and the advisors were so humble they obligingly indulged their Lord in his games. They never complained about the _strange_ occurances that surrounded Lord Celeborn of Doriath.

Better in Rivendell, where at least two Elves would not hesitate to play pranks on the silver-haired Sinda: Celebrían his daughter…and Glorfindel.

Oh, Glorfindel! There was no Elf in Arda that Celeborn loved to tease more than Glorfindel. And the favour was returned!

Elrond had fallen victim to the pranks of the Elf Lord since before the quiet Peredhel had laid eyes on Lady Celebrían. It was then that Glorfindel had decided to come to the aid of his friend. Celeborn had bathed in diluted cow-dung – involuntarily, of course – and the game had begun. Unwilling to be bested, and delighting in this scheme, Celeborn had promised 'revenge'.

Glorfindel had soon been sent to take a missive from Elrond to the warriors at the borders. He had spent an unexpected long night at the bottom of a deep pit, furnished with a pink cloak, a water skin, a bread roll and a note from Celeborn: _"You may sing for us until the morning, then we will fetch you."_

He had snuggled in the cloak and his songs had delighted the stars through the night. Knowing the Sinda…he could have stayed there a week!

But Celeborn had kept his word, and their game had never ceased…

O-o-O-o-O

"Ai! Na vedui, Glorfindel!"

Celeborn's typical Sindarin drawl greeted him when he rounded the last of the curves in the steep winding path leading down to the bank.

The riders of Lothlórien had galloped across the plain between the hill and the river – but Glorfindel had decided he would not take the bait. 'Let Celeborn get there first,' he chuckled. The Galadhrim would have seen him, as he had seen them. They would know he was coming, and the day was too peaceful to rush.

The young march-warden would scowl that his Lord was _'not to be kept waiting at the Ford'_, as protocol demanded. The Ford was protected – and guarded – but it was out in the open, and those crossing the stream would present an easy target. Glorfindel had posted his scouts far beyond the Bruinen and he knew that the lands surrounding them were safe. But Glorfindel also knew Celeborn…

In all likelihood the Sindarin Lord himself had ordered the hasty ride from the pine wood, pretending that the plain between the hills and the Ford was dangerous. In secret, however, the rascal had probably intended to get a rise out of Glorfindel, urging him to rush. Or better – as Glorfindel suspected – to arrive a little earlier, harrassing the serious Haldir while they waited.

"You are walking?" Celeborn smirked from the opposite bank, clearly amused.

"When the weather is this beautiful and the breeze is so fresh, I cannot resist," the Golden One smiled.

The Elves of Lothlórien snickered. An Elf Lord like Glorfindel arriving _beside_ his horse?

"You are welcome to join me," the Chief of Defenses laughed heartily, inviting the riders to wade through the Ford.

The warriors of Lothlórien surrounded their Lord as he crossed. But when Celeborn had passed the middle of the stream, his stallion stumbled heavily and slipped on a rock.

"Easy, my sweet," Celeborn crooned gently. He had not lost his balance, but the movement had jerked through his senses. He felt pain, though not his own.

The Lord of Lothlórien swiftly came to a decision and leapt off his horse, wading through the water and leading his horse to the shore.

"Your mount is limping, my Lord," whispered one of the guards.

Celeborn led his horse to the side and expertly ran his hands down the stallion's leg. "Ai! We had best cool that leg in the river," he murmured. "Rúmil?"

As the Galadhrim hurried to remove the stallion's tack, Glorfindel signalled to three Imladris sentries, who appeared from the trees.

"Lord Celeborn's horse is injured. A guard will remain by the river to cool its leg. Please send for Laedros – and bring dry clothing and refreshments for Master Rúmil."

Glorfindel inclined his head when the young Sinda smiled gratefully, then turned to his silver-haired friend. Slipping back in his formal composure, he bowed to the Lord of Lothlórien and his Guard.

"Welcome to Rivendell, my Lord. May a star shine on your House and your Realm."

Celeborn, though bedraggled and with mud on his boots, nodded regally.

"May the Valar bless your Home also," he sang the formal reply.

Glorfindel touched his forehead, his lips and his heart in the Elven Blessing, which was repeated by the Lord of the Galadhrim.

"I will send my warriors for a dry pair of leggings, my Lord," Glorfindel spoke respectfully. "Although I fear we do not have white silken ones such as your own."

The warrior's eyes twinkled. In front of the Guard, his conversations with Celeborn were required to be formal, as was custom. 'Just wait until we get home,' Glorfindel mused, looking forward to their usual banter.

"My gratitude is great, but you need make no effort," Celeborn drawled. He bowed politely and walked back towards the river, cleaning his boots. "My leggings will dry as we walk towards the Valley," he announced as he finished.

'Walk?' Glorfindel thought. He was not hearing right.

"My Lord, you cannot walk around in wet leggings. And you certainly cannot _walk_," one of the Lórien guards whispered quietly.

"My Lord, ride my horse," came the voice of another.

"Your arrival in the Valley is of formal importance. You must _ride_, my Lord," spoke a third.

Glorfindel chuckled.

"Walk?" he asked innocently, raising an eyebrow. "My Lord means to walk?"

"It is such a beautiful day," Celeborn drawled, a sparkle in his eyes. "I would very much enjoy a walk beneath the trees by the side of my _good friend_."

He stressed the final words and the Balrog Slayer took the hint. 'High alert,' he thought. The Sinda was up to no good.

Eirien Malloth had patiently studied the Sindarin company, waiting for her Master to lead the way home. But now she walked forward, nuzzling 'her blonde' affectionately. Was he coming?

"What - a - beautiful - horse!" came a soft whisper from the back of the Lothlórien Guard.

"She is awesome!" sighed another.

"Magnificent!" spoke a third.

"You must have some new warriors in your guard," Glorfindel smiled at his friend. "Could it be that they have never seen my Eirien before?"

Celeborn stepped forward and patted the stately mare fondly. "Even if they have seen her, your Eirien will still be a vision of beauty to all Elves, a star come to life in a child of the Mearas."

The ears of the mare twitched happily as she carefully snuffled the Sinda's offered hand. He was kind, this one! She liked him!

"You may ride her to the Valley," Glorfindel offered softly. "I will ask her to bear you."

Celeborn's eyes widened with interest, but he tilted his head. "I seem to remember that you will rarely allow _anyone_ to ride your horse," he drawled, raising his eyebrows. "Are you sincere?"

Glorfindel pointed to the un-covered saddle on Eirien's back. "See for yourself…no waterskins," he chuckled.

Celeborn smiled warmly, knowing what this offer meant, coming from the Chief of Defenses. He glanced at the trees. The forest was calling and he longed for the feel of the earth beneath his feet. After weeks in the saddle, a walk was too enticing.

"I feel honoured," he drawled. "But I would much prefer to walk by your side. When we reach the Valley of Rivendell, I will gladly mount a horse to make sure my arrival is _regal_," he silenced his Guard. "But I assure you that the horses of Lórien are equally capable of bearing my weight."

**TBC**

Translations:

_Na vedui – At last_


	7. Red Fire

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 7 – ****Red Fire**

"Can we go to the bell-tower, Ada?"

"We want to see if Glorfindel and Daerada are coming!"

Erestor gazed across the table at his Lord's children. Elrohir was kneeling backwards on his chair, craning his neck to glance out of the dining room window. Elladan was hanging beside his chair, only one buttock on the seat, putting his chin on his father's forearm and smiling cherubically.

"Please, Ada?" the oldest Elrondion begged, glancing upwards between his eyelashes.

The mouth of the Elf-Lord twitched at the clownish display and Celebrían chuckled.

'Bull's-eye,' the Seneschal thought.

"We have not yet finished our lunch, Elladan," Elrond spoke kindly.

"Then can you _please_ finish _now?_" Elrohir asked over his shoulder.

"Elrohir, turn around and sit down," Celebrían requested. "…or I will not finish my lunch," she added as instigation.

Her elflings were riotous today! Impatiently awaiting their grandfather's arrival, they were exuberant and loud and constantly needing reminders of the rules.

"Finish your soup, Elladan," she prompted her oldest.

Elrond reached across the table and tugged on Elrohir's tunic. "You as well, my son," he implored, raising an eyebrow for emphasis.

O-o-O-o-O

Surrounded by a breathtaking scenery and steep, rocky cliffs, the riders of Lórien descended into the lush, green Valley of Rivendell. Riding in single file behind the two Elf Lords on foot, the guards relished the peace and the afternoon sun.

"This is it," began Glorfindel, motioning for the company to halt on the narrow path. He turned to his friend, who was smiling contentedly, enjoying their walk. "Beyond the next bend we will catch sight of Imladris. It is time, my Lord," he continued.

"Time for what?" frowned Celeborn. "To ride?"

Before he could speak, four of the Galadhrim dismounted and offered him their steeds, nodding humbly.

"Choose one of our mounts, my Lord."

"We will walk, my Lord."

Lord Celeborn grimaced. "Le hannon, ú-nerithon," he announced. "I shall _not_ ride, though I thank you."

Glorfindel chuckled as the faces of the Galadhrim fell.

"My Lord?" asked the guard behind Eirien. "Will you not even ride on the beautiful Star?"

The mare twitched her ears to her back. Was the Elf speaking of her?

"I will walk with my feet on the beautiful _earth_," the Sindarin Lord replied sharply. How often did one walk in the Valley of Peace? He deeply enjoyed his surroundings and he could feel the serenity of the area through his feet.

"You changed your mind then, my Lord?" came the familiar drawl of his March-warden.

"I did, Haldir," was the icy reply. Such a meddlesome pup!

The Lord of Lothlórien turned to his balrog-slaying friend.

"Lead on, mellon nín. We will walk."

Glorfindel paused as he remembered Elladan's words.

"You're a _Lord _and a _commander_, my Lord," he spoke slowly. "And Lords and commanders always _ride_."

"Since when?" countered Celeborn, blue eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Since…always!" Glorfindel laughed, shaking with mirth. "Have you ever heard a tale of an Elf Lord arriving on foot?"

Celeborn bristled. "Has Erestor addled your brains?" he inquired.

Glorfindel chuckled.

"I agree with your Warden, my Lord," he smiled. "As soon as we round the next bend, four curious eyes shall be watching us."

Celeborn tilted his head.

"_Grey_ eyes," Glorfindel added. "Highly anticipating their Daeradar's arrival."

Nodding slowly, the Sindarin Elf Lord stared towards the bend in the path. "I see. And they must not see me walk," he understood.

"They would be highly disappointed," Glorfindel grinned. "The twins are very proud of their grand-sire and look up to him with awe. They look forward to seeing your _regal_ arrival."

"In that case…" Celeborn mused, "…it might be time for a regal and authoritative leap in the saddle."

"Indeed!" Glorfindel chuckled. "Will you ride my Eirien, my Lord?"

"It will be an honour," smiled the Elf-Lord.

O-o-O-o-O

Eirien Malloth of the Mearas dutifully followed 'her blonde'. The Lord on her back seemed a little uptight, but other than that, he was kind. He clearly adored her, his praise had been generous and…what was he doing?

He was wiggling. Wiggling!

"My Lord?"

The riders of Lórien glanced at the Sinda of Doriath.

The march-warden swallowed. Was it just him, or did the regal Lord Celeborn just try to scratch his…noble backside?

He was not able to tell. The long cloak of the Sinda fell down over the horse's broad back.

Uncertain what to do, Haldir nervously glanced at the tense posture of his Lord. The fists of Lord Celeborn were clenched, the knuckles were white.

"My Lord, are you in discomfort?" he asked quietly.

Alerted by these words, the Chief of Defenses looked around with concern – and started! Perspiration was shining on Celeborn's brow, and his face was contorted in pain.

Glorfindel rushed to the side of his friend, but Haldir got there first, steadying his Lord.

"…get's worse," the Lord of Lothlórien wheezed.

"What ails you, my Lord?" pressed the March-warden anxiously.

"…pain," gasped Celeborn.

The march-warden felt queasy.

"Where?" he asked softly, dreading the reply.

"…c-nt…st-aand…'t…" the silver-haired panted through his teeth.

"Celeborn, answer us!" Glorfindel commanded firmly. "Where does it hurt?" He ignored the glares from the Lothlórien Guard and grasped the Sinda's arms, forcing him to look down. "I can see you are in pain, Celeborn. Stop playing the brave Elf Lord and speak to me. Shout it out if you must. _Where_ does it hurt?"

Celeborn shivered and bit on his lip. Hard.

Seeing the trickle of blood on the fair chin, the March-warden glanced at Glorfindel.

"I believe it is…" Haldir hesitated to say the word. "There," he pointed at his own rear. "Earlier my Lord was…"

'No,' he decided. He needn't tell Glorfindel _that_. Not what his Lord had been doing.

Responding immediately to the March-warden's words, Glorfindel lifted the long velvet cloak of the Sinda…

"Valar, no!"

Eighteen Galadhrim, a Balrog Slayer and a March-warden cried out in outrageous dismay.

"My Lord, you are bleeding," gasped Haldir, shocked.

The warriors drew their weapons and immediately surrounded their Lord, glancing around to spot potential attackers.

Glorfindel easily lifted Celeborn out of the saddle and steadied his friend as he reeled on his feet.

"He must have been shot," one of the warriors began.

Thinking along the same lines, Glorfindel motioned for Haldir to hold Lord Celeborn and hurried off around the bend in the path, signaling to the nearest sentries.

"Ride back to the House as fast as you can! Alert Lord Elrond that Lord Celeborn is gravely wounded! Go!"

He turned to the second sentry.

"High alert for the entire valley. Double the watch and let search parties comb the area. I do not know what has attacked Lord Celeborn, but until I do, I want full vigilance!"

As the sentry ran off, he turned to the third.

"I want fifteen extra warriors to escort Lord Celeborn to the House," he ordered. "Now!"

He ran back to where the Galadhrim were waiting and glanced at his friend. How had this happened?

"Just around the bend is a larger terrace, bring him there," he spoke to the Lórien warriors.

"...nn...ng… c-c-can…walk…" muttered Celeborn, clenching his teeth when his warriors tried to carry him. The warriors grasped their Lord under his arms and carefully kept him on his feet.

Glorfindel motioned them on. "Tend to his wounds," he said to the March-warden. "I will send for a litter and let my sentries search our trail. I want to know what has harmed him. Hurry!"

O-o-O-o-O

Celeborn groaned in pain as the warriors lowered him to the ground. He lay down on his side and groped at his behind.

"Valar!" he panted. "Haldir…ex…amine me! I am burning!"

Haldir held his breath. Examine his Lord's…? Elbereth, no!

"Of course. Immediately, my Lord," he nodded humbly.

He glanced at his warriors and swallowed. "Shield Lord Celeborn's modesty," he ordered.

The warriors formed a circle around their Lord, making a curtain of cloaks. The March-warden stared at their backs as he knelt beside the Sinda, envying the others for being able to face _outward_.

He glanced at the bloodied silken seat. He had no qualms with nudity whatsoever, but to bare the posterior of his _Lord?_

He sighed. Of all the available body parts… But come, his Lord was in pain. It had to be done.

O-o-O-o-O

When Glorfindel returned from speaking to his sentries, he faced a dozen deadly arrows aiming right at his heart.

"You shall _not_ approach our Lord," came the cold, angry drawl of the March-warden. "You have pushed your limits too far this time, Balrog Slayer."

Glorfindel signalled to his sentries to remain at a fair distance and gazed at the Galadhrim.

"Haldir," he asked calmly. "What are you talking about?"

The eyes of the young Sinda flared dangerously.

"There are no wounds!" he hissed. "There is no blood! And yet my Lord is in terrible pain!"

"Calm yourself, Haldir," spoke Glorfindel tersely. "What do you mean there is no blood? I saw it myself!"

He tried to see past the cloaks to where Celeborn lay.

"Oh, kindly desist!" sneered Haldir, with cold hatred on his face. "How could I be so blind, I ask:

"Lord Glorfindel of Rivendell, Chief of Defenses, arrives – _walking_ – beside his horse. The famous Balrog Slayer, who _never_ allows anyone to sit his mount, invites Lord Celeborn to ride his beautiful Star. Was it convenient for you, 'friend of Celeborn', that our master's horse slipped and is lame? It is whispered that the Elves of Imladris have control of the river. What a lot of coincidences, _friend_..."

Remaining calm under the insults, Glorfindel digested the March-warden's words.

"You think that I…? Because I let him _ride?_" Rapidly drawing conclusions, the Chief of Defenses gasped: "Haldir, was he hurt on the _horse?_ How?"

"You tell me!" Haldir spat with contempt. "And be quick! The Lord Celeborn is in undeserved pain! I will speak to your Lord."

Glorfindel bristled. "Haldir, I have nothing to do with this," he spoke sharply.

"Indeed," sneered the Sinda. "Alas that I am aware of your infamous reputation."

"Show me your Lord's wounds!" argued Glorfindel angrily. "Perhaps I can help him."

"And do more harm?" bristled Haldir.

"…F-f-f…indel…?" came Celeborn's wheeze from behind the cloaks.

"I am here, my friend," answered the warrior, glaring.

"…H-h-h-elp…m-m-m…ee…" gasped the Elf Lord.

Haldir blanched as the wrath of the Golden One flashed in his eyes. "You may pass," he drawled slowly, motioning for his warriors to lower their weapons. "But harm my Lord, _Lord Slayer_, and you will regret it!" he warned.

Glorfindel no longer listened. He knelt beside his friend and placed a tender hand on the clammy forehead, imparting some peace.

"What have you done to yourself, young one?" he asked kindly.

"…A...m… ol…l-l…der…" wheezed the Sinda.

Glorfindel chuckled. "Ah, I see…so you are older? I doubt it. But for now you'll let me look at your buttocks, dear friend."

Celeborn grumbled.

"Check the saddle for trickery, paint, anything!" the March-warden hissed to his guards. "I want proof!"

Four warriors gathered around Eirien and handled the saddle, taking a very close look at it. They lifted the straps, wiped their hands across the surface…secretly admired Eirien…and checked below the caparison.

'Nothing...' signaled the first.

"Look at this!" cried a second. His sleeve, which had formerly been a soft, silver grey, was stained in…

"Blood! Again?" gasped a third. "Where did it come from?"

Now more of the warriors pressed closer to Eirien, all touching the saddle and searching for clues.

"Stand back!" bellowed the clear, ringing voice of the Balrog Slayer.

Glorfindel jumped to his feet and cursed inwardly. Could it be? Valar, no!

"Do not touch the saddle!" he ordered.

Cutting a strip from Celeborn's ruined leggings, he whistled to his horse. With one, certain move he wiped the cloth across the saddle. It turned red…

'Elbereth, elflings!' he thought and looked down at his friend.

"Nobody is to touch the saddle, nor any of the red stains!" he ordered.

"I believe your concern comes to late, my Lord," whispered one of the Guards. He pointed at the March-warden, who was fervently rubbing his fingers.

Having tended to Celeborn earlier, the March-warden was beginning to feel the burn.

"Haldir!" Glorfindel called. "There was Uruin on the saddle. Ride to the House! I will tend to your Lord."

Kneeling down beside Celeborn, Glorfindel turned to the Lórien Guard. "All of you who have touched the saddle, ride to the Last Homely House as fast as you can. Your hands will begin to burn within a few minutes. Go to the healing rooms, they will help you there."

"…O…bey…him…" panted Celeborn. "Hal…dir… Go…"

Fighting hard to keep his face straight as the agonizing pain seared through his hands, the March-warden bowed.

"Y-yes my L-Lord."

"Ride with him!" Glorfindel commanded the Rivendell guards. "And help the others."

He turned back to the Lord of Lothlórien.

"You will have to take those leggings off, mellon nín."

**TBC**

Translations:

'_Le hannon, ú-nerithon.' – 'I thank you, I shall not ride.'_

**This chapter is dedicated to Evendim, who is a truly inspiring writ****er and moves me deeply with her tales. Esteliel**


	8. Consequences

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 8 –**** Consequences**

Flashback

"_He must have been shot," one of the warriors began. _

_Thinking along the same lines, Glorfindel (__…) hurried off around the bend in the path, signaling to the nearest sentries._

"_Ride back to the House as fast as you can! __Alert Lord Elrond that Lord Celeborn is gravely wounded! Go!"_

_He turned to the second sentry._

"_High alert for the entire valley. __Double the watch and let search parties comb the area. I do not know what has attacked Lord Celeborn, but until I do, I want full vigilance!"_

O-o-O-o-O

Celebrían and the twins watched from the top of the stone steps as Elrond came running out of the house with his healer's kit. The courtyard and all entrances to the Last Homely House were under heavy protection. The blue, gold and silver of the Imladris Guard uniforms dominated the view in whichever direction the elflings and their mother looked. Arrows and swords at the ready, alert to any potential threat, the elven warriors patrolled and guarded the area.

Seven Imladris warriors rode forward when Elrond hurried down the steps and called for his horse. Taking no time for ceremony, for Elrond could ride bare-back and without tack as easily as he could with a saddle and reins, the grooms had only checked the black stallion's hooves before bringing him into the court yard. The Lord of Imladris would ride hard on the rocky path, and his mount needed to be in top condition.

"Elrond?"

The dark-haired elf turned at the sound of a pleading voice.

"I need you and Adar to be safe," Celebrían whispered, clearly torn between the urge to ride to her father's side and to fight beside her husband should any danger befall him, and the equally pressing instincts of motherhood to stay with her elflings.

Elrond allowed his fëa to encompass hers while he gazed lovingly into her eyes. She replied almost desperately, blending her fëa with his, allowing him to feel her need for him to return to her, as well as her confusion and unshed tears.

Elrond nodded in gratitude when Erestor stepped forward to stand behind his wife and sons, placing a simultaneously protective and comforting arm around Celebrían and the elflings. Elrond gently but firmly released the deep connection with his wife, and smiled briefly when she nodded in understanding.

"Go…" Celebrían whispered. "Hurry, Elrond."

The Lord of Imladris leapt on the back of his black steed, and with seven armed elven warriors surrounding him he thundered out of the court yard towards the Narrow Bridge.

O-o-O-o-O

Elladan gloomily stared through the empty, grey archway through which his father had disappeared some fifteen minutes earlier.

"If someone wanted to attack Imladris, why did they have to do so _today?_" he muttered quietly.

In his mind, the prank had gone awfully astray. Even if Glorfindel's backside was now a beautiful shade of red, no-one would pay attention with Lord Celeborn so heavily injured. Daerada least of all, of course. A deep sense of worry filled the elfling's stomach. Would Daerada be okay again?

Of course, Ada could heal nearly all wounds and injuries. But not all of them, the sons of Elrond had learned. Sometimes, no matter how hard Ada tried, an elf would pass to the Halls of Mandos. Suppressing a sob, Elladan rubbed his hand across his eyes to wipe away the stray tears that were beginning to spill.

"Hebo estel, Elladan," Erestor said gently, pulling the elfling close. "Keep hope, little one."

The Seneschal knew not to worry as long as no further details were known. But the fact remained that _something_, or _someone_, had managed to attack Lord Celeborn while the Elf was under maximum protection. It was rare that anyone managed to pass the boundaries of Imladris unseen. Hardly anything ever remained undetected.

Erestor repressed the feeling of unease in his stomach. After the Fall of Sauron the Valley had been safe and peaceful for more than a hundred years. Slowly, very slowly, the Elves of Imladris had begun to get used to this lull in the ongoing bombardment of danger they had grown accustomed to during the final centuries of the Second Age. The Firstborn gradually relaxed after the years of continuous strain and watchfulness. Playfulness and song had become what they had been before the years of looming darkness: Once again they were a daily expression of the inherent nature of the Elves. No longer was love riddled with grief, no longer was joy mingled with pain, no longer were the dances merely meant to distract from fear. No harm had entered the Valley since the forces of Imladris had returned from the plains of Gorgoroth. The Last Alliance had succeeded, and peace had been restored to Arda and to the hearts of the Elves. Once again, the first-born children of Ilúvatar were becoming as they had been intended: As children.

Erestor wove his fingers into the hair of the small elfling that firmly pressed himself against the Seneschal's robes, one little arm around the slender waist of the dark-haired Noldo, the other nervously fumbling with the advisor's velvet sash. Elladan and Elrohir had been begotten, born and raised in times of peace. They had no knowledge of the disquiet that came with an ever-present threat, a dangerous menace, or an anxious sense of foreboding, never knowing if the joy of the present would be cut off unexpectedly, forcing another struggle for pure survival onto the shoulders of the Elves.

The Seneschal longed, no _hoped_, prayed, even _begged_ the Valar with all his heart that the peace in the Valley would remain.

Giving himself a mental shake, Erestor returned to the present and his task as the solid rock his Lord's family would lean on in this moment of doubt. Whatever enemy they were up against, no matter how cunning, Glorfindel would rout it out of Rivendell in a heartbeat! The Seneschal inwardly chided himself for not trusting his dearest friend. Valar, even the Nazgûl fled with their followers on their heels if the Balrog Slayer of Gondolin appeared! Who, or what, would stand a chance to do any harm as long as Glorfindel was around?

Elrohir chewed his bottom lip as he stood beside his naneth, his fingers tightly wrapped around Celebrían's slender hand, seeking and offering solace. Would Ada reach Daerada in time?

O-o-O-o-O

"My Lord! Riders approach!"

The seven warriors of the Imladris Guard drew their swords, halted their mounts and surrounded their Lord.

"Prepare to flee, my Lord. Return to the House and defend your family where there are more warriors to aid you. We will delay them if necessary," one of the guards whispered.

Elrond nodded grimly, but nonetheless spoke a few words of ease.

"The approaching riders may be our own warriors. We do not yet know the threat that has entered our Valley. Let us wait."

"You must flee as soon as we catch sight of the comers, my Lord," the guard whispered urgently.

Elrond pressed his hand onto the soft, black fur of his horse, connecting with the stately animal. If he had to flee, the horse would have to back away between the other horses before it could turn on the narrow path. The stallion alertly rotated one of his ears backwards, snorted softly and pawed the rocky ground, letting the Elf Lord know that he was ready.

"Hannon le, mellon nín," Elrond thanked silently, knowing that the animal would feel his intention.

Their eyes trained on the path ahead, which wound along the valley's wall all the way until it bent around a cliff and disappeared from view about a mile ahead, the seven warriors and the Elf Lord prepared for potential battle while the seconds ticked away…

O-o-O-o-O

A sigh of relief had escaped from all seven warriors when the blue, gold and silver of Imladris appeared around the bend in the path, soon followed by the grey of Lothlórien.

However, the riders were coming towards them at break-neck speed, clearly riding to the Last Homely House as fast as they possibly could. Sensing the exigency, Elrond instantly reached for his healer's kit, but when he studied the group of approaching riders more closely, he noticed that the Elf Lord from Doriath was not among them.

Why did the Galadhrim seem so terribly agitated? Truly it could not be…?

Elrond's heart sank. He had honestly believed that he would have sensed it, _known_ it, if Lord Celeborn had passed to the Halls of Mandos while residing within this Valley. Preparing himself for the worst, he urged his small company forward to meet the comers as soon as they could.

Halting at a small plateau where the path was a little wider, Elrond rode to the front of the small group when the first of the approaching riders, an Imladris sentry, arrived, his horse frothing at the mouth.

"My Lord," the Elf panted, "All additional security measures have been lifted, by order of Lord Glorfindel."

Elrond visibly relaxed. If Glorfindel believed the situation warranted such a decision, then it was truly safe.

The Imladris Guards led the Galadhrim around Elrond's small party and urged them onwards towards the House. Haldir briefly nodded his respect to the Lord of Imladris and shakily brought his hand to his brow, lips and chest, but he seemed to be in terrible pain and his eyes were not focused.

Elrond's eyebrows rose towards the blue sky above as he turned back to the Imladris sentry.

"Tell me, quickly, _what_ is the condition of Lord Celeborn? And what ails his warriors?"

O-o-O-o-O

"_All additional security measures have been lifted! By order of Lord Glorfindel!"_

The words of the sentry had sent a wave of relief across the entire court yard and around the Last Homely House. However, there was no such peace for the Lady Celebrían, who was still in doubt about the condition of her father. With her skirts bunched in her hands, she ran down the steps towards the exhausted sentry, shooting worried glances at the clearly agitated and hurt warriors of Lothlórien.

"Lead the Galadhrim to the healing rooms!" the leading sentry ordered his company, before turning towards his Lady with a polite bow.

"_Where_ is my father? What is his _condition?_ _What_ has happened to his guards?" Celebrían questioned while rushing to his side. "Will my father live? Has his attacker been captured? Or eliminated?"

The sentry threw up his hands in the face of so many questions and smiled encouragingly.

"Be at peace, my Lady. The Lord Celeborn, your father, shall live and his injuries are not by far as grievous as we initially thought."

At these words, Celebrían almost collapsed in relief. All the stress left her at once and her knees simply buckled and her vision blurred. She was caught in the strong arms of the sentry, who steadied her on her feet as she regained her composure.

"And the culprit?" she asked faintly, brushing her silver hair back behind her ears, wishing to know the fate of whomever had dared harm her beloved Adar.

"Lord Glorfindel believes that the culprits reside in this House, my Lady," the sentry smiled kindly.

"_What?__!"_ Celebrían gasped. "But you have just ordered an end to the security measures! Shouldn't an arrest party be sent…" She stopped when the sentry began to chuckle.

A terrible realization began to dawn on her.

"You cannot mean…?" She glanced back towards her elflings, who were still holding Erestor's hands. Certainly her sons had not… How?

"My Lady, Lord Celeborn and his warriors came to harm because of the invisible presence of Uruin extract on Lord Glorfindel's saddle," the sentry spoke softly.

The eyes of the daughter of Celeborn widened briefly as she digested these words, not certain how Uruin on Glorfindel's saddle would lead to her father and his warriors coming to harm, but then her eyes narrowed dangerously. She rounded on her elflings and pierced them with an ominous glare.

"Elrohir! Elladan! Come here this instant!"

Having no understanding whatsoever of what was going on, the confused and worried elflings rushed down the steps to their mother's side with Erestor in their wake.

"Have you two put Uruin on Glorfindel's saddle? Speak _now_, my sons, for I am not at all inclined towards leniency," Celebrían spoke sternly.

Elladan, Elrohir – _and _Erestor – gasped in shock.

"I will tolerate no lies, nor any reply longer than 'yes' or 'no'," Celebrían warned, glaring as she recognized the very guilty looks on her sons' faces, as well as her elflings' bewilderment about the unexpected unveiling of their crime.

Utterly confused by his mother's sudden anger, having secretly hoped that all the stress surrounding the attack on Daerada would make the grown-ups forget about their little prank, Elladan stared up at his naneth. Unaware that his mouth was hanging wide open, he dared not look at his brother for fear of his mother's reaction.

Knowing _that look _on his mother's face and sensing the seriousness of the situation and the _deep _trouble they were in, Elrohir barely dared to breathe. A strong panicky feeling formed in his stomach and in the back of his mind and he broke out in a sweat. When the sentry had smiled so kindly, Elrohir had begun to believe that everything would be all right. He had been certain that Daerada would live and would come to no lasting harm. How had the events suddenly focused on the prank with Uruin?

"I will count to three," Celebrían threatened, losing her patience. "You had better answer me quickly, my sons, or your punishment will be worse."

Elladan swallowed. His mother rarely used this threat. If she did, it meant they were in _very_ serious trouble.

"I…yes, naneth…I did…" he replied meekly, never taking his eyes from his mother's angry face, though still intending to keep his brother from harm.

"Elrohir?"

Celebrían was no fool. She knew the guilty expression on the face of her youngest like no other. Elrohir had not merely aided his brother from the sidelines, he had been totally and fully involved.

"We did, naneth," Elrohir confessed quietly. "We…we did it for Daerada…"

"What do you mean?'" Celebrían bristled, quickly exchanging a bemused glance with the equally perplexed Seneschal, who was standing behind her sons.

"We promised…" Elladan whispered, his bottom lip now quivering. The older twin had no idea why his mother was this angry. He had known that his parents would be extremely disappointed and firm if it would be discovered that they had played with Uruin – and had done so without asking – but he had never expected that his mother would be so utterly livid.

Seeing the tears in the eyes of both her sons, Celebrían caught herself in her anger and decided to postpone her final judgement to a later time.

"You shall both go to your room and you will stay there until after I have spoken to your father and grandfather," she announced sternly. "Your evening meal shall be brought to your room. There will be no feast for you tonight."

She glanced at the Seneschal as her children meekly hung their heads.

"Erestor, could you please…?"

"I shall escort Elrohir and Elladan to their room, my Lady," Erestor nodded humbly. He placed two calm, loving hands on the shoulders of the twins, who had unconsciously grasped each other's hands. The sons of Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían were in enough trouble as it was, he felt no need to add any more reproval to it.

As the Seneschal walked up the stone steps with the twins of Imladris under his hands, he secretly tried to shake himself from his stupor.

Elladan and Elrohir had done…_what?_

O-o-O-o-O

Glorfindel heaved an impatient sigh and threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Please, my Lord, you must come with me to the House. Elrond will tend to you, as he did to your grandsons last week," he pleaded.

"I am _not_…_leaving_ this place!" Celeborn snapped from his position in the middle of the shallow stream.

Not far from where they had halted, a small tributary of the Bruinen plunged down from the steep cliff above and snaked its way across the plateau in a shallow, rocky bed, before falling over the precipice into the depths of the River below.

Celeborn sat with his blazing backside planted firmly in the icy water, the velvet cloak that Glorfindel had wrapped around his waist for modesty billowing in the flow of the current.

"Elrond's tea and salve will ease your pain," Glorfindel tried once more.

"So will…this river…" Celeborn hissed through his teeth.

The golden-haired warrior calmly observed the clear signs of pain on the face of the silver-haired.

"Do not be stubborn, my Lord," he spoke good-naturedly, ignoring the glares of the three uninjured Lothlórien guards, who stood watch with their backs towards their Lord's 'bath'.

One of the Imladris guards waved from his position on the path up ahead. "Lord Glorfindel? Riders approach from the House. I believe Lord Elrond himself is among them," the sentry called.

'Finally,' Glorfindel thought, rolling his eyes and getting to his feet. As much as he felt sorry for his friend's painful ordeal, the Sinda was truly acting every inch like the stubbornest of mules. He sighed with relief when Elrond jumped down from his stallion and immediately leapt off the path to where the sentries pointed him, nimbly picking his way between the rocks, trees and undergrowth towards the brook.

Despite his concern for Lord Celeborn's well-being, the Lord of Imladris could not prevent the corners of his mouth from twitching when he spotted his father-in-law sitting in the stream with a most obstinate expression on his face, nicely juxtaposed by the highly nettled aura surrounding the Balrog Slayer.

Schooling his features to assume his healer's mask, Elrond approached the river bank and carefully allowed his senses to extend outwards to gauge the Sinda's level of stress and anxiety.

A wave of desperate pain hit his fëa and Elrond immediately withdrew, now mentally noting the determined frown on Celeborn's brow, indicating that the Elf Lord's pride was still offering enough moral support to the Sinda that he wished to maintain his dignity. Relieved that the Lord of Lothlórien still had enough inner strength left to be this unwilling to show his true agony, Elrond decided to offer the Sinda an opportunity to keep up his pretenses.

"My Lord Celeborn, I wish I could offer you a more pleasant welcome to Rivendell," he spoke formally. "I must ask you to follow me. We shall return to the Last Homely House with all due speed, so I can relieve at least some of your pain as soon as is possible."

Glorfindel watched as Elrond stepped to the water's edge and offered his hand to the Sindarin Lord. He chuckled softly when Elrond eventually dropped his hand, realizing that Celeborn was not intending to come out.

"Forget it, Elrond," Glorfindel offered. "That mule is not going to lift his backside out of the stream."

"I cannot stand…the long walk…to the house…" Celeborn muttered, wincing in pain when he ever so slightly tried to change his position.

"You can barely stand on your feet, did you really think we would have you _walk?_" Glorfindel snorted. "You shall ride, of course!"

The Balrog Slayer splashed into the stream towards the Sinda.

"Now come, my Lord, you will follow Lord Elrond, even if I have to carry you myself."

"Do _not_ touch our Lord!" came the voice of one of the Lothlórien guards. Three deadly arrows were pointing to the empty air just beside and above Glorfindel's head.

"Lord Celeborn shall leave the stream voluntarily, or not at all," announced the tallest of the three Galadhrim.

"Lord Celeborn is in terrible pain and should be taken to the healing rooms in his own best interest," Glorfindel said sharply.

Elrond gazed at his father-in-law and confirmed the latter statement with his eyes.

"You suffer needlessly, Celeborn," he spoke softly. "I will not be able to take away your pain, but I can relieve it a little and make it less of an agonizing experience for you."

"Eirien's saddle and tack have been removed, you can safely ride with me," Glorfindel offered.

"You seem to forget…I am rather…unable to…ride," Celeborn scoffed angrily. "Lack the…seat for it…"

"You will have to lie face down across the horse," Glorfindel explained, trying to find more patience. "_Trust_ us, Celeborn. Eirien is very swift, it is the quickest way to get you to the House. Once we have you there, your pain will lessen in a twinkle."

Elrond's eyebrows rose a few inches. "Do you have a death-wish?" he wordlessly asked his Chief of Defenses.

Celeborn bared his teeth in a sneer.

"First you want me to…arrive regally…as a Lord…riding your horse," the Elf Lord panted with difficulty. "…And now you will have me…dragged into Rivendell…dangling over your saddle…as a captive?"

"No saddle, I said Eirien was unsaddled," Glorfindel replied stoically, ignoring the obvious dent in the Elf Lord's pride.

Indeed, it would be an unprecedented sight to have the regal Lord Celeborn arriving in Rivendell, 'bottoms up', draped over a horse's back. Normally, injured warriors arrived on litters, and in most of the cases they were blissfully passed out or too exhausted or drained of blood to care. But a litter was no option now. It would take far too long for two elves to carry Lord Celeborn to Rivendell on foot. And even a horse-drawn litter would not make as much speed as transportation solely on horseback.

"You cannot stay here," Elrond now joined forces with the Balrog Slayer. "If you do, my wife and sons will want to come and see you here. I cannot allow them to be this far from the House after dark." He pointed to the sky, which was turning a colder shade of grey now that the sun was sinking towards the cloudy horizon. Anor had long since disappeared behind the mountains to the south-west and a slight chill was slowly penetrating the air in the Valley.

"Are you related to…Círdan…?" Celeborn scowled angrily.

"I am not, but I _have_ learned at the hand of the master," Elrond chuckled, remembering how the old shipwright had always known _just_ how to make a sometimes reluctant young Elrond and his equally stubborn twin Elros spring to action by saying just a few right words. It was a trait that the old Master applied to nearly all of his friends, acquaintances, employees and business relations, in short, to every Elf that ever crossed his path.

Glorfindel decided that he would wait no longer for Lord Celeborn to make up his mind. He hauled the protesting Sinda out of the water and set him on his feet on the bank. One of the Galadhrim swore loudly, but to everyone's surprise, the Sindarin Elf Lord lifted his hand to his warriors to make them lower their weapons.

"Carry me…!" he ordered the Chief of Defenses with mock disdain.

But only Glorfindel heard him adding a soft, barely audible: "Please…?"

TBC

Translations:

_f__ëa - spirit_

_h__ebo estel – keep hope_

_h__annon le, mellon nín – thank you, my friend_

_**AN:**_ _**Dedicated to all my readers and reviewers. Thank you for your support and encouragement! Esteliel**_


	9. Reaping What You Sow 1

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 9 – Reaping What You Sow – Part 1**

_Dedicated to Lochey and Ivy, my fellow musketeers._

Eirien Malloth, the great white mare of the Mearas, flew like the wind across the rocky, winding path towards Imladris. Like a swift shadow she flashed around the curves with effortless grace, making sure that the moaning, silver-haired bundle she had been entrusted with did not even stir.

Glorfindel placed a soothing hand on the small of the Elf Lord's back.

"Hold on, young one. It is only a little longer now. We are almost there."

He chuckled when Celeborn lifted his head from where it was dangling over Glorfindel's left knee, sending him a dangerous scowl.

"Respectless brat…" Celeborn hissed indignantly. "I am…your…senior!"

Glorfindel's ringing laughter echoed along the walls of the cliffs.

"If brattiness were an indication for age, I am afraid I must seriously doubt the truth of your statement, my Lord," he feigned courtesy.

Celeborn snorted, but he could not suppress an amused grin, despite the tormenting pain in his rear.

Both Elf Lords had been born before the Valar had placed the Sun and the Moon in the skies. Celeborn had been raised in the forests of Doriath, the realm of his grand-uncle Thingol, under the twilight of Elbereth's stars. Glorfindel, too, had been born in the Days of the Trees. The silver light of Telperion and the golden light of Laurelin had blessed many years of play and adventure as the little elfling Glorfindel had frolicked and sang in the courts of Tirion upon Túna, where the Vanyar and Noldor had dwelt in friendship before the years of the darkening.

Glorfindel's father had been a noble of the court of Finwë, sworn to the service of the High King's second son, Fingolfin. His mother had been a lady of the Vanyar, born in the royal house of Ingwë; she had been gentle and tender of heart and a joy to behold. Both of his parents had perished in the wake of Fëanor's wrath over the loss of the Silmarils: his father in the mindless slaughtering at Alqualondë, his mother in the passing of the Helcaraxë. Torn by grief, being the only remaining heir and lord of the people of the Golden Flower, Glorfindel had sworn himself to the service of Turgon, son of Fingolfin.

It had not been until the return of the Noldor to the shores of Middle Earth that the counting of time of the Noldor and the Sindar had been synchronized by the passing of years of the Sun. The Valar had counted time by the cycles of the Trees, but the Sindar in Beleriand had lived under the stars, where the light of the Trees did not reach them. And so it was that until the first year of Anor, which was the beginning of the First Age, the Sindar had had no means to register the passing of time.

It was thus that the two Elf Lords on Eirien's broad back had no knowledge as to which of them was worthy of the title of 'the Elder'. Neither of them truly cared, but – quite naturally – it had become a favourite source of their banter!

O-o-O-o-O

Erestor walked through the Last Homely House, carrying a tray with sandwiches, soup, fruit and milk for the sons of his Lord and Lady. The raven-haired advisor shook his head as he thought of the news that had been broken to him in the kitchen: Lord Celeborn and sixteen of his warriors had been burnt by invisible traces of Uruin. _Sixteen!_

How Elladan and Elrohir were going to survive this, once they would reach their majority and were sent to Lothlórien to train with the Galadhrim, was beyond the Seneschal's grasp. The Elves of the Golden Wood would not forget this roguery for a long time to come, Erestor predicted.

Not even a full century would pass until Elrohir and Elladan would complete their basic warrior training in Imladris. As sons of the Lord and Lady, they would then spend at least five years in Lothlórien to learn the defense techniques of the Galadhrim under the guiding hand of their grandfather, before they would return to the Valley to be molded into skilled and competent commanders of the Rivendell Guard through centuries of intensive training.

Although none of the Galadhrim would hold this prank against these two ignorant elflings in lasting anger, they _would_ seize it as a valid excuse to tease the two sons of Elrond to no end – possibly for as long as their five years in Lothlórien lasted…and beyond.

Erestor clearly remembered the pranks that had been played on the company of Elves under his command during the Last Alliance. As they had traveled south along the banks of Anduin, it had been downright frustrating to wake up and find the outside of their tents adorned with garlands of yellow flowers, or to find their bows and tack gracefully decorated with pink and purple ribbons.

At first they had not known who had played these pranks on them. But one night Erestor had been awake, and he had seen a brief reflection of moonlight on silver hair when hurried footsteps had betrayed that a culprit was fleeing towards the trees.

"A Sinda!" he had hissed indignantly, staring at the charcoal image of himself in a lady's dress, wielding a wooden sword against a miniature dragon. He had snatched the offending piece of parchment from the tree where it had been fastened and tossed it into the fire, believing to be done with it. But by the next morning it had become clear that many more copies of 'Erestor-in-dress' were circulating through the massive camp. He had even seen one passed between Gil-galad and Elendil at the high table that evening!

Elrond had come to the defense of his Third in Command and had ordered for the images to be confiscated and destroyed. However, when the armies of Oropher had joined them as they had approached the North Undeep and the Field of Celebrant, the sniggers of the Silvans as they had greeted him had spoken volumes.

Erestor still did not know who of the Galadhrim had been behind all these pranks. But oh…if he would ever find out!

He softly knocked on the door to the twins' room and entered.

The shaken sons of Elrond sat huddled side by side on Elrohir's bed, raven heads and tear-streaked cheeks pressed firmly together. They barely glanced up as he walked past them.

"Restor?" came a hesitant plea as the Seneschal placed the tray with food on the small table by the window.

"Yes, Elladan?" the advisor asked kindly, turning to see both elflings patting the bed with their hands, asking and inviting him to sit by their side.

"Restor, why is Naneth so very angry?" asked the older twin, scooting over to make room.

"We thought it might be because she was scared by the attack," Elrohir added quietly, seeking the eyes of his brother. "But Glorfindel repelled the attackers, did he not?"

Erestor blinked as he sat down between the twins. Could it really be that the young ones had not yet realized that _their own prank_ had hurt their grandfather and his Elves?

"So now we think that Naneth might have been so angry because she felt bad about Daerada's injuries," Elladan continued.

"But if she was over-reacting, why has she not yet come back to us to forgive us?" Elrohir asked, new tears welling up in his eyes.

Erestor stared blankly at the opposite wall. 'Elbereth, help me,' he prayed, wrapping an arm around each of the elflings.

"_Was_ Naneth so angry because of Daerada's pain?" Elladan still wanted to know.

Erestor took a deep breath.

"Yes, she was," he replied, quite truthfully.

O-o-O-o-O

"Lord Glorfindel approaches with a prisoner!" one of the look-outs had announced.

"No prisoner!" Celebrían's clear voice had silenced the immediate murmur of voices.

But the damage had already been done. From every corner of the Last Homely House, Elves had come running to catch a glimpse of the culprit who had sent the entire Valley in an uproar and had managed to injure Lord Celeborn.

The large crowd of Elves hastily jumped aside when Eirien Malloth galloped through the arch way into the court yard, though craning their necks to see. An instant hush fell over the crowd when they recognized the stately Sinda lying over Glorfindel's knees. Within seconds a loud hiss of whispers began to spread through the court yard like a wildfire.

Glorfindel dismounted and sternly glared at the onlookers.

"Not a single word!" he commanded firmly, looking around to make sure that every Elf present got his meaning. "Not to _anyone_ who is no witness here today. Not to _any_ of our Lothlórien guests. Not to anyone, _ever!"_

Then he quickly turned towards the upturned hind-quarters of his friend and aided the Lady Celebrían in lifting her father down from the horse.

"Elrond is coming as fast as he can," he informed her, steadying the Elf Lord on his feet.

"Ada, can you hear me?" Celebrían asked anxiously, placing her hands on her father's face.

But Celeborn's knees buckled and he slumped in Glorfindel's arms, the exhaustion from his trial finally taking the upper hand.

Glorfindel unceremoniously tossed Lord Celeborn over his shoulder and hurried up the steps into the House, with Celebrían right on his heels.

"When Elrond arrives, tell him to hurry!" Celebrían ordered the servants in the hallway.

"Elrond _knows_," came Glorfindel's reply from under Celeborn's dripping cloak.

He ran up the stairs towards the family healing rooms and carefully placed his charge – face down – on the bed.

Two healers immediately appeared by his side.

"Lord Celeborn is unconscious, I will need your help," Glorfindel announced.

O-o-O-o-O

"No! _Daerada_ rode Eirien?!" Elladan exclaimed, staring up at the Seneschal in shock.

"But…but…he could not have been hurt," Elrohir stammered. "Daerada wears thick, sturdy riding pants for travel, just like the Elves of Rivendell!"

Erestor briefly closed his eyes.

"Little one, your Daerada meant for his arrival to be _regal_. A few hours before his arrival at the Ford, he bathed in the river and changed into his ceremonial garb. _Including_ the leggings."

Elladan and Elrohir looked thunderstruck.

"The silken ones?" Elrohir whispered in horror. He determinedly shook his head in denial. No, no, no, this could not be true!

Elladan looked aghast. "Please, Erestor, say that it isn't so! _Please!_" he begged, big tears beginning to trickle from his eyes.

Elrohir pressed his fists against his temples and clawed his fingers in his hair. Daerada's thin, silken leggings would not have offered enough protection to stop the Uruin from reaching skin, he realized. Oh! But that meant…

"Erestor! Did Daerada get hurt on his…?" He blushed and did not finish his sentence.

Elladan blanched as he realized what his brother was saying.

"No! It cannot be!" he gasped, hoping against all odds that somehow there had been a mistake. A wail escaped from his throat when he recognized the solid truth on Erestor's face.

"No! Not Daerada!" Elrohir sobbed, breaking down in tears like his brother.

Both elflings burried their faces in the soft, velvet robes of the Seneschal and wept. To think that their grandfather was hurting as much as they themselves had been hurting only a week earlier – and by their own doing, no less! – was unbearable.

"We didn't want anyone to get hurt," Elladan hiccuped between his sobs.

"I believe you, Elladan," Erestor comforted. "But Uruin is a very dangerous substance to play with, little one. I would think that you and Elrohir knew?"

"But we were careful, Erestor, truly!" Elrohir wailed.

"Hush," the Seneschal crooned gently, pulling the elflings into an embrace, slowly rocking them back and forth to calm them down. Normally the twins would have protested that they were no infants, but now they both wrapped their arms around Erestor's neck and allowed it, resting their heads on his shoulders.

"I will leave it to your Ada and Naneth to speak with you about this, little ones. I shall not rebuke you also," Erestor promised.

He kissed the tops of each of the raven heads.

"Now, my little ones, I have duties elsewhere in the House tonight, so I will have to go back downstairs. I want you to be good and remain in your room, as your Naneth has decreed. I am sure that your parents will come to speak with you as soon as your Ada has tended to the Lord Celeborn's… To the Lord Celeborn," he caught himself.

Elrohir held Erestor's neck in a vice like grip and pressed his cheek firmly against the Seneschal's face.

"Don't go, Erestor," he begged.

Erestor raised a thoughtful eyebrow. Now where had this sudden child-like behaviour come from? The twins were obviously very upset.

"Now be a big Elf for me, Elrohir," he murmured in the elfling's ear, gently prying the little arms from his neck as he placed the youngest twin back on the bed beside Elladan. "I have brought you some soup and sandwiches. Eat, little ones, and make me proud of you."

O-o-O-o-O

Staring over his empty soup bowl at his brother, who was picking at a sandwich, clearly not hungry, Elrohir voiced the thought that had been going through his head while they were eating.

"Do you think that Daerada is in the family healing rooms?"

Elladan's eyes lit up.

Apart from the healing rooms in the east wing of the Last Homely House, Elrond and his family also had a private healing room, where the Elf Lord tended to his wife and sons, or on occasion Glorfindel if he got hurt. Erestor never got hurt, Elladan knew. He had never seen the Seneschal with even so much as a scratch.

"Let's go and see," he whispered.

Elrohir swallowed his protest that, technically, they were not supposed to be leaving their room. He felt so incredibly guilty that there was only one thought on his mind: To find Daerada, to hold his hand while he was hurting, and to apologize.

They slipped out of their room and silently ran down the long corridor, past their parents' bedroom, to the family's healing room around the corner. The door was slightly ajar and they carefully peered through the slit between the door and the doorframe, Elrohir standing, Elladan crouching below him.

There, on the bed, was Celeborn of Doriath, his backside propped up with a soft bolster under his hips, while Elrond carefully and diligently applied a healing salve to the tormented skin.

"Bah! Elrond! After nigh on three-and-a-half-thousand years in your profession, one would think that you would have learned how to make your vile concoctions a little less revolting!" Celeborn protested indignantly.

The Lord of Lothlórien was trying to drink a very bitter healing tea while his blazing rear-end was being tended to. Celebrían sat by his side and had been singing softly, but now she paused.

"Hush, Adar! I am ever so glad that you are no longer unconscious! And you _shall_ drink this tea – quickly! – lest you faint from the pain once again!"

Elrohir and Elladan swallowed uncomfortably when they recognized the sternness in their mother's voice. It would be _very_ unwise to enter the healing room now.

A sudden firm hand on Elrohir's shoulder and in Elladan's neck made the elflings spin around in fright.

"Glorfindel!" Elladan wanted to exclaim.

But Glorfindel quickly placed his hand across the elfling's mouth and put a finger on his lip. Motioning to the elflings to follow him as quietly as they could, he led the elflings back around the corner to their room.

"I do not think your Daerada will want to be observed by his grandsons at this moment," he spoke softly after he had closed the door behind them.

"I want to talk to you, elflings."

**TBC**

_AN: This is part 1 of a longer chapter.__ Part 2 will be up a.s.a.p. _

_For those of you who would like to__ know how Eirien Malloth came to be Glorfindel's horse, you might enjoy taking a peek at my new story 'Glorfindel and the Mearas'. (See my profile page for a link.) I would love to hear what you all think!_

_Enjoy your day! Esteliel_


	10. Reaping What You Sow 2

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 10 – Reaping what you sow – Part 2**

_**To Hazel…May your hopes and wishes come true**_

Flashback

_A sudden firm hand on Elrohir's shoulder and in Elladan's neck made the elflings spin around in fright._

"_Glorfindel!" Elladan wanted to exclaim._

_But Glorfindel quickly placed his hand across the elfling's mouth and put a finger on his lip. Motioning to the elflings to follow him as quietly as they could, he led the elflings back around the corner to their room._

"_I do not think your Daerada will want to be observed by his grandsons at this moment," he spoke softly after he had closed the door behind them._

"_I want to talk to you, elflings."_

O-o-O-o-O

Elrohir unconsciously took a step closer to his brother when he noticed the serious expression on Glorfindel's face.

Sitting down on the foot of Elladan's bed, the warrior drew the elflings closer, making them stand right in front of him.

"Your Daerada was hurt very badly today, pinnith," he spoke softly, gazing first in Elladan's grey eyes and then in Elrohir's.

"I understand that you did not intend for your grandfather's backside to get burned, seeing as there was no way you could have known that _he_ would sit in Eirien's saddle, instead of _me_…"

Elrohir lowered his eyes and Elladan squirmed. Glorfindel reached out and took the elflings by the hand.

"Why did you wish to hurt me with Uruin, little ones? I have been asking myself if I could have made you angry enough that you would do this. But other than jumping down Aragond with you, I cannot think of anything."

The sons of Elrond and Celebrían simultaneously looked up, shock and horror written on their faces.

"We did not want to hurt you, Glorfindel!" Elrohir exclaimed, tears of desperation beginning to fill his eyes as he realized what his friend must be thinking.

"We just wanted to stain your backside red!" Elladan added, grasping the hand of the Balrog Slayer and clasping it firmly.

"But you used _Uruin_ on my saddle, little ones. Did you not even stop to think that it would burn me, then?" Glorfindel asked, gently squeezing Elladan's hand in return.

"But we _did!"_ Elrohir sniffled. "You would not have been hurt, because your riding pants are so thick that the Uruin could not reach your skin."

"And Ro made sure you wore your leather gloves, so you could not burn your hands," Elladan added between sobs.

"I would _never_ let you come to harm, Glorfindel," Elrohir promised, sending a pleading look at the Balrog Slayer to believe them.

"Nor Daerada," Elladan whispered, wildly rubbing his eyes to stop his tears.

Glorfindel did not show them, but he was secretly relieved that the twins had not meant to hurt him intentionally. He was happy to learn that they _had_ been thinking about the possible consequences of playing with Uruin. It had not been such a thoughtless action on the part of his young charges, after all.

"I believe you, elflings," he said kindly, pulling them onto his lap. "But I do think that this prank has gone awfully astray, my little warriors."

The twins quietly pressed themselves against the broad chest of the Chief of Defenses, hiding their faces in the white-golden brocade, weeping softly as they nestled in the Balrog Slayer's embrace.

"Oh Glorfindel, why ever did you let Daerada ride your horse?" Elladan blubbered. "You _never_ let anyone ride Eirien Malloth, not even us!"

Glorfindel pressed a soft kiss on the top of Elladan's head.

"I do not let anyone ride my Eirien, because she is one of the Mearas," he explained. "The Mearas are a race of wild horses that have come from Valinor, Elladan. Oromë himself brought them to Middle Earth many long lives of trees ago, before the Drowning of Beleriand. The Valar meant for the Mearas to be free, and therefore they will suffer no rider – save those they choose to carry, which is a rare honour, even to the Elves.

"Really?" Elladan sniffed, looking up at the warrior through his tears.

"Truly," Glorfindel smiled. "Eirien did not want to carry me when she and I first met. She was highly affronted that I even dared ask!"

Elrohir lifted his head from the warrior's shoulder.

"But why did you let Daerada ride her, then?" he asked, a mild accusation ringing in his voice. If Glorfindel hadn't chosen to do something quite so unexpected and unusual today, their trouble would only be _half_ as bad!

Glorfindel gently tucked a strand of hair behind Elrohir's ear and pressed a soft kiss on the wet, tear-stained cheek.

"Because your Daerada is my friend," he spoke softly. "His horse was laming and I wanted to honour him by asking Daisy of the Golden Flower to carry him."

"Why would she do that?" Elladan asked. "You just said…"

"Eirien will carry whom I ask her to bear – most of the times," Glorfindel answered, smiling.

The warrior sighed inwardly as he realized how his own insistence that Celeborn ride Eirien had led to such highly undesirable results. He had practically – albeit unwittingly – ruined the prank. If he had only put his own backside in the saddle…

"I love your Daerada very much, elflings, just as I love you, Erestor, and your Adar and Naneth," he assured.

"But you always play pranks on him," Elrohir quipped sceptically.

"And Daerada on you," Elladan added, raising the infamous eyebrow.

Glorfindel chuckled. "Yes, I do! _Just_ like I always play pranks on the two of you, and on your Naneth, and on Erestor, and even on your Ada sometimes. Does that mean I love you any less?"

The elflings exchanged a quick glance and shook their heads. A wide grin appeared on Elladan's face as he understood what Glorfindel was saying.

"Me and El always play pranks on you, too, because it is fun and we always laugh when you try to catch us," he confessed, drawing a clear, ringing laugh from the Balrog Slayer.

"But we _do_ love you very much, Glorfindel! We always will!" Elrohir stressed, wanting to be certain that _that_ much was clear.

Now Glorfindel, like Erestor before him, was sandwiched between two elflings. They hugged him tightly, wrapped their arms around his neck and pressed two loud, smacking kisses on his cheeks. In return, the raven-haired twins were squashed in an equally warm and loving embrace by the Chief of Defenses.

Not long after the boisterous display of love, however, the elflings grew meek and still again. Elrohir chewed his bottom lip and Elladan's brow was creased with worry, both sets of small shoulders hanging down in defeat while the two young Peredhil quietly sat on Glorfindel's lap.

"Glorfindel?" came Elrohir's hesitant question. "Does Daerada hate us now?" A silent tear escaped from the elfling's eye, soon followed by another.

"Hate you? No, Elrohir, I don't think he does," soothed Glorfindel.

"And Ada?" asked Elladan.

Glorfindel kindly looked into Elladan's eyes.

"Elfling, you know very well that you were not supposed to take Uruin from your Ada's apothecary without asking. I believe that you can think for yourself what that means…"

Elladan bowed his head. "Ada will be angry," he said quietly.

"And we will be punished," added Elrohir.

"I think so, too," nodded Glorfindel. "But never believe that your Ada hates you, little ones. Your Ada loves you very, very much. Even when he is cross with you."

He smiled when he saw the familiar flicker of relief on the elflings' faces.

"Glorfindel?"

"Yes, Elladan?"

"Are _you _cross with us?"

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

"For trying to play a prank on me?"

The elflings nodded uncertainly, four nervous grey eyes glancing up at their trainer.

The Balrog Slayer rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

"I should first like to know why you went to these lengths to play such an elaborate prank on me, elflings. Would you care to tell me?"

Elrohir and Elladan exchanged a brief glance.

"Well," they chorused…

O-o-O-o-O

Celeborn son of Galadhon lay on his side on the soft pillows of the bed in the family healing room, breathing slowly and deeply while his daughter Celebrían held his hand. A golden light seemed to shine from the Elf Lord's brow as the flickering light of the oil lamp reflected on the tiny droplets of sweat that slowly trickled down the fair elven skin.

The Lord of Imladris stood up to fetch another dry towel from his cabinet, softly humming a tune from long lost Doriath. It was a tune that his mother Elwing had often sung to Elrond and his brother Elros upon tucking her rambunctious twins into bed. It had always helped to soothe and calm him then, and Elrond hoped it would do the same for this Elf who had grown up under the same eaves as his great-grandmother Lúthien. Celebrían's gentle voice joined him, and together they sang the tale of the Haven of Peace in Beleriand, safeguarded within the Girdle of Melian.

As the Lord and Lady's harmonious voices described the beauties of Neldoreth and Region and the flowing river Esgalduin, Celeborn felt himself drifting towards the happy memories of his childhood years. He remembered the sweetness of the songs of Lúthien Tinúviel, his grandfather's niece, who had often sat him on her knee when he had been a small elfling. He had danced under the trees with the other elflings while she sang, and even the squirrels had stopped their frolicking to listen to the voice of the Lady.

While the images drifted in front of his mind's eye, it almost felt to Celeborn as though he were back in those years of innocence and peace. But Valar, back then his nether regions had not hurt the way they did now!

Although…that one time when grandfather Elmo had caught Celeborn and his young friend Beleg in the royal armory, doing practice swings with Aranrúth, the royal sword of the King…

"Adar, drink," Celebrían said softly.

Elrond held out a cup to the Lord of Lothlórien.

"You do not need to grimace, Celeborn, it is only peppermint tea," the Peredhel smiled.

Celeborn scowled indignantly, but then he accepted the cup and drank thirstily.

"How are my warriors?" he asked between sips.

"Still the same as they were fifteen minutes ago," Elrond replied patiently. "When last I went down to check on them, they were being tended to – as you are – by caring ellyn and ellith: my healers and apprentices. They have had the salve and the tea, and songs are being sung for them to support them through their agony. Like you, they hurt. But they will be well."

Celeborn lowered his head back to the pillow and winced as he tried to get comfortable.

"Where are my grandsons?" he asked. "I feel well enough now. Why have they not yet come to greet me?"

Elrond and Celebrían exchanged a brief glance.

"Adar, Elladan and Elrohir are in their room," Celebrían replied casually, knowing full well that her father had ever and always seen through her mask, and that he would not fail to read his daughter now.

Elrond watched the staring-competition between father and daughter with rising amusement. Celeborn gazed deeper and deeper into Celebrían's azure eyes, while his strong-willed progeny stubbornly stared back, captivating his lighter blue eyes with an aura of strength and power not unlike her mother's, willing him to see only the outer layers of her mind – and no more!

For several minutes a tangible silence hung in the room, but then Celebrían's face lit up in a smile and Celeborn grinned broadly.

"I do not seek to read your heart, child," the Lord of Lothlórien chuckled. "But I now know what I suspected from your earlier tone, _nínim-nín: _You are hiding something."

"Am I now?" Celebrían asked with obviously feigned innocence, waggling her eyebrows.

The two silver-haired Elves delighted in these mental sparring games. With a highly perceptive set of parents such as Celeborn and Galadriel, Celebrían had been determined to learn how to close her mind – even from a very young age. Though she had mastered it to the point where barely an elf could read her if she did not permit it, against her parents she had always drawn the short end of the stick. It did not, however, stop her from trying.

"_Nínim-nín_, be a good elfling and tell your father what you have gotten him for his begetting day," Celeborn teased, tugging on a strand of his daughter's silver hair.

"A pair of bottom-warmers," Elrond chortled.

The gentle tinkle of Celebrían's laugh mingled with the deeper, softer chuckles of her husband. Celeborn scowled indignantly.

"May I remind you that I am in pain?" he drawled, chiding his caretakers. "Have you no respect for your patients?"

"Celeborn, I apologize," Elrond chuckled, standing up to change the damp cloth on Celeborn's brow.

Behind the Sinda's back the Lord of Imladris turned to his wife, his expression becoming more serious.

'Now?' Elrond asked wordlessly, using his eyes to point to Celeborn's burning backside.

Celebrían looked at her father. He was still in a lot of pain, but he was certainly doing far better than he had been in the previous hour. If he was able to banter with her despite his pain, then he could also deal with what the Lord and Lady of Imladris had in store for him.

She nodded briskly.

Elrond walked back to Celebrían's side of the bed and stood beside his wife.

"Celeborn, I would like to apologize for the behaviour of my sons. It seems that Elladan and Elrohir meant to prank Glorfindel by putting Uruin on his saddle. I regret that I did not notice their disobedience earlier, else I would have tried to prevent today's misfortune."

The Lord of Lothlórien frowned.

"Are you saying that…my grandsons…?"

His eyes obtained a distant expression as he carefully mulled over the information. So he had fallen in a trap meant for the balrog slayer… Ai! If his backside would not hurt so much, he could actually appreciate that his grandsons had meant to set up the notorious blond. Especially after the surprise Glorfindel had prepared for him on his last visit to Rivend...

The silver-blue eyes slowly widened as a terrible thought crossed his mind.

Knowing her father better than anyone, save perhaps her mother, this was the tell-tale sign Celebrían had been waiting for.

Fixing her father with a stern glare, she challenged in a low voice: "Elladan and Elrohir seemed to be under the impression that they were doing this for you, Adar. They said they had promised. Now where could they have gotten such an idea?"

Elrond's eyebrows rose towards the ceiling. "I would very much like to hear that, too," he informed the Sinda, leaning forward.

Celeborn hid his face in his pillow and groaned from the bottom of his heart.

"Adar, does this have anything to do with your watery leap in the saddle?" Celebrían demanded.

The cornered Elf Lord grimaced and turned to face his daughter.

"I asked them to avenge me," he confessed quietly.

"What?!" Celebrían jumped to her feet in anger.

Elrond's face was set, his mouth a thin line as he glared at his father-in-law.

"I knew I should have demanded to know what that smug grin on your face meant when you were leaving last Spring," he spoke accusingly.

"They are elflings, Adar!" Celebrían exclaimed. "Have you no notion what kind of ideas you could have put in their minds?!"

"I do!" Celeborn muttered, wincing as he shifted on the bed. "I had hoped they would put a frog in his bed. Or perhaps hide his boots!"

"Celeborn! Elrohir and Elladan hold you in very high regard!" Elrond spoke sternly. "They feel very honored to be your grandsons. I have no doubt that they wanted nothing more than to make you proud, and to devise a scheme that would be worthy of a Lord of Lothlórien!"

"_That _they did!" Glorfindel spoke from the doorway.

The Chief of Defenses walked into the room and pulled up a chair, seeking eye-contact with each of the three Elves.

"I request that you hear what I have to say before you pronounce judgment over the elflings," Glorfindel besought.

"We will listen," Celebrían said icily. "And then I shall speak with my father."

O-o-O-o-O

Erestor was overseeing the night time ritual of washing, cleansing teeth and brushing long strands of raven hair.

The twins had long ago taken to braiding each other's hair before bed, but while Elrohir's nimble fingers quickly twisted Elladan's mane, there was no trace of their usual banter. No requests for stories or songs had yet been made, no pleading for warm milk with honey…the twins had not even tried to get the Seneschal to chase or tickle them yet!

Erestor inwardly confessed that it made him feel uncomfortable. He was far happier when the elflings were at peace with their parents. The guilty faces of the twins unsettled him.

The door to the bedroom opened, and from the sound of it the Lord and Lady of Imladris were entering the room.

"Hurry now, little ones," Erestor said softly, ushering the elflings out of the bathroom. "Your parents are here."

Elladan visibly paled and Elrohir let out a barely audible whimper. Without a word they reached for each other's hands, holding on tightly as Erestor gently urged them through the door into the bedroom.

o-O-o

The Lord of Imladris towered over his sons, glaring down at them with a look of deep disapproval. The Lady Celebrían stood by his side, hands on her hips, still fuming.

"My sons, have you stolen Uruin from my apothecary?" Elrond demanded sternly.

"Yes Ada," Elladan whispered guiltily.

Elrohir nodded solemnly.

"I trust that I do not need to tell you that you are in deepest trouble for this serious breach of the house rules?" Elrond asked austerely. "You know better than to touch any healing herbs without permission. I am highly disappointed in you Elladan, and in you Elrohir."

The elflings repentantly hung their heads, not daring to look up at their parents.

Celebrían knelt in front of her sons and gently lifted their chins with her hands.

"Have you any idea what you have caused today, my sons? There are sixteen warriors with burning hands in the healing ward. Your Daerada is hurting in an area of his anatomy where it would be better his two grandsons were feeling the blaze…"

Here she frowned sternly and Elladan and Elrohir blushed a deep shade of pink.

"...You had the _entire _Valley in an uproar. _All_ warriors were called on high alert, search parties were dispatched to track the mysterious attacker who was believed to have harmed your grandfather…and then I have not even begun to mention the deep fear you gave all the Elves who believed that an unknown threat had managed to slip into the Valley unnoticed."

Elladan seemed to shrink with every word his mother spoke.

"We're sorry, Nana," Elrohir whispered.

"Not as sorry as you are going to be, my son," Celebrían said quietly, looking into the eyes of her youngest. Her tone was no longer firm, but neither Celebrían nor Elrond were going to let their children get away with the havoc they had caused.

"We did not mean for all of this to happen," Elladan sniffed, trying to hold back his tears. "Ada, we were _so_ careful. _No-one_ was supposed to get hurt: not the grooms, not me or El, and not Glorfindel."

"We talked and planned _so _long to make sure that there was no way the Uruin could touch anyone's skin," Elrohir added in a pleading voice. "But then Glorfindel let Daerada ride Eirien…"

"And then things no longer went as planned?" came Elrond's calm and understanding voice.

Elrohir and Elladan shook their heads, guilty tears dripping down the elflings' cheeks.

Elrond wrapped his arm around Celebrían's waist and sat down on the bed, pulling his wife down beside him. Then they held out their hands and pulled their children closer, making them stand in front of them.

"With an herb as dangerous as Uruin, you must always be prepared for the unforeseen, ion nín," Elrond addressed his sons. "You must let neither Uruin, nor its traces, out of your sight, ever! For you have seen today what might happen if you do."

Elrohir released a barely audible sigh, looking down at his toes. Elladan stared at the hem of his tunic, folding and unfolding the blue velvet garment, hoping that somehow, if he would next open his eyes, the misery would have been undone.

"When you next try to avenge my father, I would appreciate it if you asked my help," Celebrían added, drawing a startled gasp from her elflings.

"Nana! Did Daerada tell you?" Elrohir exclaimed.

"He did – and Glorfindel has told us of your elaborate scheming on your Daerada's behalf," Elrond informed his children.

Elladan squeezed Elrohir's hand hard as he nervously looked up at his parents. Ada and Naneth knew everything?

But before he could worry how his parents would feel about the full revelation of the prank, he felt the warm arms of his mother snaking around his waist, pulling him onto her lap and hugging him tight. Elrohir burried his face in the silver velvet of Elrond's robes and sobbed desperately as his father embraced him.

"We know that you did not mean for anyone to come to harm today, little ones," soothed Celebrían's gentle voice. "But you must understand, my sons, that you must always calculate the unexpected into your schemes when you play with danger."

Two identical raven-haired heads nodded solemnly.

"Are you going to punish us?" came Elladan's muffled voice from Celebrían's neck.

"Yes, Elladan," spoke Elrond calmly, reaching out to stroke his son's hair. "You have broken several rules, my sons. You have lied to Laedros, you have stirred up a lot of commotion in the Valley, and seventeen warriors now lie hurt in the healing rooms, including your grandfather. However, I shall take in account that your intentions were good, and that you took many precautions to make sure that Glorfindel and the grooms would remain safe. Tomorrow your Daerada's pain shall have worn off. Your mother and I will then speak with him – and Glorfindel – to determine your punishment."

Elrohir tightened his hold on Elrond's robes.

"Ada? Is Daerada very angry?"

Elrond smiled down on the raven head on his chest. "I believe that, at the moment, your Daerada's mind is occupied elsewhere, ion nín."

"Is Daerada hurting very much, Nana?" Elladan asked.

"What do you think, Elladan?" Celebrían asked kindly.

"Can we go to him, Nana?" Elrohir now pleaded.

"Please, Ada?" Elladan joined in.

"We want to say we're sorry…"

O-o-O-o-O

Glorfindel and Celeborn looked up from their hushed conversation when two twins in pyjamas quietly slipped into the healing room.

"Ai! My grandsons! Finally!" Celeborn smiled, opening his arms to welcome his young heirs.

Glorfindel caught Elladan in mid-air when the elfling wanted to jump on his grandfather's bed.

"Careful, elfling," he chuckled, lowering the oldest twin in Celeborn's embrace and stepping aside to allow Elrohir to climb up beside his brother.

"Daerada, we missed you!"

"Daerada, we're so sorry you got hurt!"

"Did you have a good journey?"

"How is Daernaneth?"

"Are you angry, Daerada?"

"Did you slay any _orcs_ in the mountains?"

Glorfindel and Erestor – who had just entered with Elrond and Celebrían – exchanged amused grins as the twins simultaneously shot a barrage of questions at their grandfather, meanwhile snuggling onto the bed beside him.

Celeborn lay back on his pillow with a huge smile on his face.

"I have missed you, too, my little ones. I have heard that you have made much progress on the archery fields?"

As one the twins began to chatter about their lessons with Glorfindel, to the amusement of the older Elves. Forgotten – if only for a moment – were the day's unfortunate events.

Tomorrow, Elrond knew, would be a different day. He would have to discipline his children. Mete out punishment. A formal apology to the contingent of warriors that had escorted Celeborn from Lothlórien would have to be made.

But all that could wait.

Tonight his elflings would sleep in the full knowledge that they were loved. For indeed, though Elrohir and Elladan had not thought through all the possible consequences of their actions, neither had their Daeradar.

Celebrían sat down on the foot of the bed beside her elflings and glanced over at Erestor.

"How about seven mugs of hot milk with honey?" she mouthed quietly, tilting her head and sending the Seneschal a pleading smile.

Erestor chuckled when the Lady of Imladris even went as far as giving him her sweetest doe-eyed impression of a begging young elleth. He bowed politely and walked from the room.

o-O-o

When the seven mugs were empty, Elrohir sleepily snuggled in his mother's embrace while Elladan lay tucked under the blankets beside his grandfather, fast asleep. Glorfindel's bariton and Erestor's tenor softly sang a song of the white shores of Aman, their harmonious voices wrapping the room in deepest serenity while Eärendil and Ithil slowly sailed between the stars.

As Elrohir, too, slipped away onto the path of waking dreams, the older Elves remained seated by the light of the oil lamp, deeply enjoying the peace and each other´s company.

The Lord of Imladris gazed down on his sleeping children. His eyes found Celebrían's and he smiled when her fëa blended with his, bathing him in her love.

"How can anyone punish such innocent faces?" Celebrían wondered aloud as she pressed a soft kiss on Elrohir's sleeping face.

Celeborn chuckled as he carefully brushed a strand of dark hair from Elladan's brow.

"Your Naneth and I often asked the same question, _nínim-nín_," he spoke softly. "You shall not have to worry about it until the morning."

**TBC**

Translations:

_pinnith – little ones__ (plural of penneth / pen neth – little one)_

_ellyn – male elves (plural of ellon)_

_ellith – female elves, or elf-maidens (plural of elleth)_

_nínim-nín – my snowdrop (snowdrop is a flower)_

AN: I am a little behind with my review replies - my apologies! My thanks to all those who reviewed. I shall reply to you, though. I promise! Esteliel


	11. Punishment

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 11 – Punishment**

_**This chapter may be considered AU**_

The Seneschal of the Last Homely House silently walked through the third floor corridor on his way to Lord Celeborn's guest chambers. The venerable Lord had been relocated to his favorite appartments after the excruciating pain caused by the herb of red fire, Uruin, had subsided.

Dawn was long past and Anor, the sun, steadily climbed towards its highest seat in the sky, shining its golden light down onto the Valley with its thundering falls. But the House was still silent. Earlier in the morning the twins had broken their fast in their room. Glorfindel had insisted on waking Elrohir before the first light of day, to make him complete his week of morning exercise after his outburst in the Valley of Aragond. But Elrond had decreed that Elladan was to stay in his room, and it was there that Glorfindel had returned Elrohir after a last, very thorough workout.

The Lord of Imladris was not about to let it slip by that his sons had deliberately exposed others to a dangerous substance, taken, against all rules, from their father's apothecary. The havoc they had left in their wake could not have been foreseen entirely, but the deed alone, even without its consequences, was enough reason for the Elf Lord to give his sons plenty of time to 'think things over'. Confined to their room since before the hour of breakfast, the twins had been told to wait until after the planned meeting of their elders, set for the early afternoon, in which a decision would be made about a fitting punishment.

With a soft knock on the door, Erestor entered the guestroom carrying a tray laden with two bowls of fruit, a decanter filled with black-currant juice and a plate stacked with buttered toast and honey.

The broad smile that lit up the Sinda's face when the tray was placed before him, could have warmed the entire Hall of Feast with great ease!

"Lord Erestor, long have I longed for your honey toasts while I dwelt in far away Lothlórien," the silver-haired Elf-Lord drawled with an appreciative nod, wasting no time and sinking his teeth in the golden delight. "No Elf bakes bread like you do. Are you _certain_ I cannot persuade you to relocate to the Golden Wood?"

Erestor politely dipped his head and hid his smile behind a mask of regret. "My Lord Celeborn, I am afraid that my answer will be quite the same as it has been these past eighteen centuries."

The Sinda licked a drop of honey from his finger and grinned toothily. "An Elf may hope… Even after nigh on nineteen-hundred years since I first tasted your bread between the mud and stones that would be the foundations of this realm, I have yet to meet an Elf who can best you at your baking skills!"

Turning away from the Elf Lord to hide the light blush that crept onto his cheeks, Erestor busied himself draping the open curtains more evenly. His long fingers automatically brushed away a few silver hairs from the red velvet robe on the peg beside the bed.

Eventually his eyes returned to the Sinda, who was consuming his food…standing up?

The blue eyes of the Seneschal inquisitively scanned Lord Celeborn's face. He detected no outward signs of pain or discomfort. Could it be that the regal Elf Lord was still suffering from unpleasant sensations in his…nether regions?

Making a mental note to report his observations to Lord Elrond, Erestor unobtrusively made to leave the room. A servant was posted right outside Lord Celeborn's chambers to attend to the Elf Lord's every need and whim. Satisfied that the guest chamber was in perfect order, the Seneschal swept his eyes once more across the room before he closed the door.

"Erestor?"

"My Lord?"

When the Seneschal peeked around the door, Celeborn motioned for the raven-haired Noldo to come back in.

Now was Erestor entirely mistaken? Or did the Lord of Lothlórien actually seem a little…embarrassed?

The silver-haired Elf Lord paced beside the bed, and then turned away from Erestor, facing the balcony doors. It was apparent that the Sinda was debating with himself whether or not he should say what he had on his mind.

Erestor waited patiently. And sure enough, before long: There it was.

"I must…ask you something. But I must insist you keep this private," Celeborn began. He turned around to look into Erestor's eyes.

With a single nod the Seneschal wordlessly promised his silence.

"Would you…" Celeborn hesitated, but then he fell silent again, returning to pacing the room.

Erestor did not prod. Even the most regal of Elf-Lords had their moments of feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable. Lord Celeborn would either get over it and speak…or he would not. It did not matter. Erestor was here to provide a listening ear if required, but he would not press the Sinda.

"Could you perhaps…" Celeborn began once more, before continuing in a hushed voice: "Would you be so kind as to…tie my bootlaces for me?"

Erestor's eyes widened in surprise and his eyebrows got ready to dart towards the ceiling. Fortunately, more than a millenium of being the Seneschal of the Last Homely House – with its many queer guests – enabled him to instantly catch himself, and he expertly forced a neutral expression on his face.

"My Lord? Are you in pain?" the Seneschal inquired politely.

"Pain?" the Sinda snorted. "I no longer feel any pain, thank the Valar! But the _stiffness_ refuses to go away!"

Stiffness? Erestor did not allow the question to reach his eyes, but the ever-perceptive Sinda sensed the Seneschal's question nonetheless.

"My skin is stretched so taut that I cannot bend down," the Lord of Lothlórien confessed in a whisper.

Understanding dawning in his eyes, Erestor immediately knelt down to tie the Elf Lord's bootlaces, meanwhile mulling over his memories of Elladan and Elrohir on the day after their encounter with Uruin. He could not remember either of them complaining about stiffness, nor about any other discomfort. Then again, neither of them had been affected on such a large area of skin. _Nor_ on any skin covering a _joint_, the clever advisor deduced. Elladan had burnt his forearm, and Elrohir his brow. Perhaps the stiffness would be less outspoken on relatively immobile tissue.

Noticing that the laces on the Elf Lord's boots easily came loose, Erestor proceeded to tie a double knot, but now he drew the wrath of the Sinda down upon himself.

"I must beg of you, Lord Erestor, do you wish to put me on display with my bootlaces tied as though I were a small elfling?"

The sarcasm was carefully wrapped in a kind and polite tone, and Erestor sensed that the Sinda did not truly mean to snap at his heels. Nonetheless, it was clear that the double knots had to come undone.

Muttering inwardly that without a double knot, the laces would slip loose several times before the day was over, the Seneschal complied. _H__ow_ was Lord Celeborn going to re-tie them if he could not bend down? With a silent sigh Erestor realized that he would have to keep an extra eye on the Sinda this day.

"I shall report to Lord Elrond and ask him to see to your discomfort," the Seneschal spoke politely while getting to his feet.

"Elrond already knows," Celeborn objected. "Last night he told me that stiffness was a possible consequence. I shall speak with him myself later on."

With a bow and a nod, the Seneschal left the room – missing the mischievous glint that appeared in the Sinda's eyes as soon as Erestor had turned his back!

O-o-O-o-O

_Mid-afternoon_

A minuscule bread crumb…or was it a biscuit crumb?...had escaped the notice of the servants. It lay, bedded down amidst the soft, velvety hairs of the carpet, neglected and alone in a vast ocean of blue and green, a mere thumb's width in front of Elrohir's left boot.

Beside him, Elladan fidgeted. Apprehensively awaiting their Daerada's arrival, the twins were standing side by side in the center of the family sitting room. Earlier that day the adults had spoken with each other for what had seemed like an eternity. Eventually they had come to a decision, after which Daerada had been called away for a word with his warriors. Elrohir wished that his grandfather would hurry.

Ada and Naneth leisurely walked, hand in hand, on the balcony, passing the time enjoying the warmth of the sun and the caress of the breeze. Deep in his heart Elrohir longed to join them, to bask in his parents' comforting presence, forgetting all that had occurred these last two days. But he surmised that it would probably not be a good idea. Best that he stand here with El, compliant, repentant, waiting for whatever was to come.

"Nervous, elflings?"

Glorfindel paused in his saunter around the room and looked down at the two young Elves. Elladan had been unable to stand still these past fifteen minutes, scratching his leg with his foot, balancing on his toes, wriggling, turning around…the eldest twin was the epitome of unrest. Elrohir, on the other hand, was a picture of plain misery, his shoulders slumped and his chin resting almost on his chest as he quietly pondered what their elders might have to say.

The warrior sank to his knees, gently tugging on the children's tunics.

"Hear me, elflings," he whispered softly. "What you have done was not right, and even dangerous, so it is only just that you shall be punished. Do we agree on this?"

Both Elrohir and Elladan nodded meekly.

"You deliberately stuck your fingers in the fire, knowing that taking Uruin was not allowed, and now you have burned them," Glorfindel spoke kindly. "So tell me, elflings: How do Rivendell's finest warriors take their medicine? Do they fidget and fret?"

Elladan instantly stopped hopping from one foot on the other, and Elrohir hurriedly straightened his back, lifting up his head, trying to look brave.

"Much better," Glorfindel smiled. "It is no crime to feel nervous, little ones. But if you do wrong and you are caught, remember to bear the consequences humbly and willingly. Do not act as though you are about to be wronged. You may keep your honour by bravely bracing your shoulders to receive that which you have brought upon yourselves. Can you do that?"

Two hesitant pairs of grey eyes looked up at the golden-haired Chief of Defenses.

"Just try your best," Glorfindel smiled warmly.

O-o-O-o-O

"For your wilful disobedience in taking a dangerous herb such as Uruin from my apothecary, you shall each write a hundred and fifty lines 'The apothecary is out of bounds without permission,' once every week, for seven weeks," Elrond spoke sternly.

Elladan bit back his gasp and Elrohir tried hard not to scowl.

"I take this _very_ seriously, my sons," Elrond reprimanded his children. "My apothecary contains many dangerous substances. You are both old enough to obey and respect such a simple rule. You certainly do not expect me to keep the doors to my apothecary locked in order to keep my irresponsible sons out, do you Elrohir?"

"No, Ada," Elrohir replied meekly.

"Do _you_, Elladan?" Elrond asked his oldest.

"No, Ada," Elladan whispered, mortified.

"Then there is the matter of lying to Laedros. I want you both in the stables before supper to tell Laedros of your true intentions when you offered to help him with the horses, Elladan," Elrond continued.

At this, the elfling's bottom lip began to tremble.

"Ada?" he asked miserably.

"Yes, my son?" the Lord of Imladris replied patiently.

"It is true that we first meant for me to help Laedros _only_ so I could tack up Eirien," Elladan's voice croaked. "But when I was working, I realized that in truth, I want to help Laedros _regardless_. I _like_ him, Ada, and I would never want to do anything that would harm him. Will you allow me to keep helping Laedros in the mornings as before, Ada? Please?"

Elrond smiled kindly and nodded his consent.

"I shall speak with Laedros about your request, Elladan. I believe that we can come to an agreement."

Relief flickered across the elfling's face. "Thank you, Ada."

"We have not yet finished," came Celebrían's gentle voice. "There are a few more points to discuss and punishments to mete out, ion nín."

Two docile pairs of grey eyes looked up at their naneth.

"First of all…when Ada taught you about the use of Uruin last week, I made you wear your oldest clothes. Why did I do so, do you think?"

Elrohir furrowed his brow, wondering where this was going.

"So we would not get burned?" Elladan tried. He remembered the long-sleeved winter tunics and the old, sturdy riding pants they had been wearing when cleaning the floor.

"That as well," Celebrían nodded. "But why do you think I made you wear your oldest tunics and breeches, and not your new ones?"

A sudden image came to Elrohir's mind of Nana tossing Elladan's ruined tunic into the fire after the Uruin incident.

"_That stain would never have come out,"_ their mother's words had been.

"Nana? Are you angry because Daerada's leggings are ruined?" Elrohir asked, his heart pounding in his throat. He covertly glanced at Glorfindel and scowled. If Glorfindel had _not_ invited Daerada for a ride on Daisy…

"No, Elrohir. For you could not have known that Daerada would ride Eirien. It is someone else's leggings, that you _intended_ to ruin, that I wish to discuss," spoke Celebrían pointedly.

"_My_ leggings," Glorfindel helped, looking from one elfling to the other.

Elrohir felt his face drain of all colour while Elladan felt his cheeks and neck go red hot. Valar! No! How could it be that they had not thought of it?! Glorfindel's ceremonial leggings, the sturdy white ones with the spiraling garlands of flowers embroidered around the legs…they would have been utterly ruined! No amount of washing would have taken the stain of Uruin out anymore!

Seeing that her point was taken, Celebrían continued:

"For your lack of consideration in regards to putting stains on Glorfindel's clothing, you shall both spend two full afternoons at the riverbank helping the servants with the laundry, and you will do so before the week after this one ends."

Elladan could not help it. His face fell. "But that's for _ellith!"_ he protested angrily. Stern looks from Elrond, Celebrían _and_ Glorfindel silenced him.

'Warrior,' Glorfindel mouthed silently, raising an eyebrow.

Stomping his foot on the floor in frustration, Elladan indignantly bit his lip. They would have to do _female work!_ The idea!

"Glorfindel, if you please?" came Elrond's soft voice.

When the tall Chief of Defenses stood forward and frowned down on the elflings, Elladan and Elrohir hurriedly resumed their warrior's pose.

"Elflings, as a result of your prank getting sorely out of hand, the entire Rivendell Guard was on highest alert yesterday. Search parties frantically scouted the valley in an attempt to find the one responsible for harming your grandfather. More than three hundred brave Elves responded to my command and went out of their way to ensure the safety of the Valley, of her inhabitants, and, last but not least, her guests," Glorfindel's clear voice listed the facts. "Since part of the course of events was far beyond your ability to foresee, I shall not hold you entirely responsible. Therefore the part of your punishment which concerns the effect on the warriors will be _less_ severe than it _could_ have been."

Glorfindel paused to let his words sink in, before stating:

"I have decreed that you shall make up for your actions by repaying some of the efforts made by the Rivendell Guard. You will spend a week cleaning the gear of the warriors after their practice and patrol."

Elladan clenched his fists, willing himself to take this next addition to their extended punishment bravely. Elrohir merely nodded, realizing that there would be no way around their predicament anyway.

But they had still not reached the end of it…

All this time, Lord Celeborn had quietly remained in the background. Now the tall and imposing Sinda stepped forward, glancing at the golden-haired Chief of Defenses.

"Have you finished?" his eyes asked.

Glorfindel waved his hand. 'Go ahead,' he indicated with a respectful nod.

Elrond, Celebrían and Glorfindel stood to the side as Celeborn paused in front of his grandsons.

Deeply embarrassed, both Elladan and Elrohir looked down at their toes. But Celeborn silently waited, until, one after the other, his grandsons hesitantly looked up at him.

"That you will apologize to my warriors is not a question here, I simply expect it of you," the silver-haired Elf-Lord spoke slowly.

"Yes, Daerada," Elrohir whispered hoarsely. Elladan nodded, his eartips turning a deep shade of pink.

Celeborn looked intently into Elrohir's eyes and then calmly took his time doing the same with Elladan.

"My grandsons, I have suffered a highly uncomfortable night as a result of your decision to use this dangerous substance. I have been asked to determine a fitting punishment," the Lord of Lothlórien began.

Elladan was unable to lower his eyes from his grandfather's intensive gaze. Gulping involuntarily, he tried to focus on his breathing to remain in control of his emotions, just as Glorfindel had been teaching them.

"Long ago, when I was but an elfling myself, I, too, broke many rules in order to play with a dangerous _object_," Celeborn continued. "I believed it to be a very clever idea, and I hoped that it would impress my younger brother – much the same as _you_ have been hoping to impress _me._"

Elrohir's eyes betrayed astonishment. The young ellon could hardly imagine his grandfather as a small elfling – let alone as one who would break the rules!

"What happened, Daerada?" Elladan asked hesitantly.

"The same as is about to happen to _you_," Celeborn replied cryptically, turning around and walking over to the divan, sitting down with a swish of his robes.

Elrohir inched closer to Elladan, sensing trouble. Neither of the elflings noticed the gentle expressions of compassion on the faces of their parents and Glorfindel. All three of them knew what was coming. They had spoken with Lord Celeborn for a long time – and had eventually agreed on the punishment the silver-haired Elf-Lord was about to mete out.

Celeborn motioned for his grandsons to come closer. In a reflex, the elflings grasped each other's hands, only to remember that they were supposed to be like warriors. Hastily stepping away from each other, they hesitantly walked forward until they stood about five feet away from their grandfather.

"When I was a mere shrimp of an elfling, barely older than you are now, my young friend Beleg and I broke into the armoury of Menegroth," Celeborn spoke in his typical Sindarin drawl, ignoring the stunned gasps from his grandsons. "I believed it to be quite an act of courage to take up _Aranrúth_, King Thingol's own sword, and to do practice swings with it."

Elladan's mouth fell open.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Elrohir asked in a whisper.

Celeborn briefly paused to bite back his smile. It would _not_ do to fall out of his role now, he berated himself.

"Yes, Elrohir," he nodded. "Although: No, neither Beleg nor I hurt anyone with the sword, as I believe you mean to ask. Before any unfortunate accidents could happen, my grandfather Elmo walked onto the scene of the crime."

The regal Lord of Lothlórien practically melted as four inquisitive grey eyes looked up at him. Elbereth! Chiding his warriors was infinitely easier than chiding these two cherubic elflings! Thank the Valar for letting him obtain some practice in being stern with endearing little ones – his own Celebrían having been no different in her youth.

"What happened, Daerada?" came a barely audible whisper from Elladan.

"My grandfather turned me across his knee and roasted my backside!" Celeborn replied, squarely.

Two identical chins dropped down as the eyebrows of their owners rose high. The sons of Lord Elrond had heard of this way in which the Eldar had occasionally disciplined their offspring, long ago, back in the First Age. Though mostly a Telerin custom, it was spoken that the Noldor had also been known to use this type of correction for the moulding of their youngest warriors, if these were prone to stubbornness, or recklessness, in the learning of arms. It was a practice that had survived the drowning of Beleriand and had eventually become part of the Mannish culture on the island of Númenor, although it had been mostly discarded by the Elves after the final vanquishing of Morgoth.

Messengers from Annúminas – who frequented Rivendell with letters from King Valandil of Arnor – had once told the twins that, though gradually slipping into disuse in the Kingdom of the North, the practice was still very much alive in the south, in Gondor. It was said that the Men down south sometimes beat their children harshly.

Only last year one of the messengers of King Valandil had playfully threatened to spank Elladan, after the twin had successfully stolen the man's apple out of his hand _just_ as he had been about to bite into it. Dangling down from a branch by his knees, Elladan had taken great delight in the astonished look on the Human's face. All too familiar with the boisterous pranks of Lord Elrond's young sons, Tarannon, the good-natured messenger, had grinned broadly, lifted Elladan from the tree by his tunic, turned him across his knee, and had gotten ready to deliver a few short, solid smacks to the twin's backside. But the quick little ellon had managed to escape from his awkward position, when Elrohir, coming to his brother's aid, had barrelled into the back of Tarannon's legs.

A short cough from Elrond interrupted the twins' thoughts and brought them back to the situation at hand.

"Yesterday afternoon the back of my leggings turned red and a raging fire burnt in my backside unlike any I have felt since my grandfather applied his hand there," Celeborn spoke sternly, now that he had their attention once more. "I believe it to be no more than fair that I returned the favour."

…

Elladan felt his mouth go dry. Beside him, he could see, no _feel_ Elrohir go pale as ash. _Daerada?_ _Spank_ them?

Elrohir felt hot tears burning in his eyes. He was unable to bear the thought of his beloved grandfather actually _swatting_ them.

Elladan stubbornly forced his mind to stop swirling and his heart to stop racing. 'Breathe in…breathe out…' he repeated inwardly. If this was the punishment Daerada had decreed, then Elladan would take it bravely, like a warrior. He told himself to step forward, but…his feet seemed glued to the floor. Slowly, very slowly, he inched towards his grandfather's waiting lap.

Elrohir stared at the long, slender fingers that rested on Daerada's knee. This could not be happening, he thought desperately. The youngest of Lord Elrond's sons bowed his head. He remembered the blaze of Uruin on his brow only too well. Yesterday, Daerada's buttocks had burnt with the exact same agony, and it had been _their_ doing. If they had refrained from stealing Uruin from Ada's apothecary… With a shaking sigh, Elrohir followed his brother.

Behind them, a silent tear rolled down Celebrían's face. She squeezed Elrond's hand hard, feeling for her children. Elrond felt rather agitated himself, and the Lord of Imladris bit his lip not to call the events to a halt. Glorfindel watched with pride as he saw how the elflings overcame their fears and, albeit with difficulty, accepted the consequences of their actions.

The clear, silver-blue eyes of the Lord of Lothlórien gazed at his grandsons with compassion and pride, giving them an encouraging nod before patting his knee.

"Come, elflings," he said kindly, reaching out to pull them closer.

Utter silence filled the room, a silence in which both twins could not help but fidget. But then, deciding he wanted to get it over with, Elladan threw himself forward to bend across his grandfather's lap…

**TBC**

_Translations:_

_ion nín – __my sons ('ion nín' can also mean 'my son')_

_naneth __– mother_

_ellith – elf-maidens_

O-o-O

AN: Cliffy! I can just imagine the howls of protest from the lot of you! smirk

_What_ in the world persuaded Elrond, Celebrían and Glorfindel to agree with such a punishment? Have they all fallen largely out of character? Or is there more to this scene than meets the eye? And w_hat_ is Lord Celeborn playing at in regards to Erestor?

I meant for all the answers to be given before I concluded this chapter. But, once again, the chapter has grown much longer than I can reasonably allow it to last. So…you will all have to wait until the next time I'll be able to update.

For those of you wondering why there are such long intervals between my updates: Please read the Author's Note at the end of my story "Of Toddlers and Porridge".

O-o-O

AN 2: **This ****chapter may arguably be considered AU!** In 'History Of Middle Earth, volume 10', chapter 'Laws and Customs among the Eldar' it is specifically stated about the Elves that _"Their_ _families, or houses, were held together by love and a deep feeling of kinship in mind and body; **and their children needed little governing or teaching.****"**_ It is therefore highly unlikely, I assume, that the Eldar will have spanked their children. However, I found the similarity between Celeborn's experience with the Uruin and a spanked posterior too entertaining to let the opportunity slip by, and have therefore decided to deviate from canon here. I am certainly no advocate of child-spanking, but I shall maintain the freedom to _write_ about it in _fiction_.

As a final note: I hate to have to say this in advance, but I shall _not_ argue this topic with any of you in reviews, review-replies or private messages. Feel free to state your opinions, as always, but if you wish to argue the occurring of spanking in this chapter, remember that it is merely a taken author's liberty. It does not represent a personal belief.

Many thanks to Evendim for her help with this chapter!

Best wishes to you all!

Esteliel


	12. The Prankster

**A Prank on Glorfindel**

**Chapter 12 – The Prankster**

_The clear, silver-blue eyes of the Lord of Lothlórien gazed at his grandsons with compassion and pride, giving them an encouraging nod before patting his knee._

"_Come, elflings," he said kindly, reaching out to pull them closer._

_Utter silence filled the room, a silence in which both twins could not help but fidget. But then, deciding he wanted to get it over with, Elladan threw himself forward to bend across his grandfather's lap…_

A highly uncomfortable feeling overcame him as he lay down, vulnerable, exposed, not to mention deeply mortified to have disappointed his grandfather so. Elladan ruefully closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, determined to take his punishment bravely. Biting his bottom lip to prevent himself from crying out, the elfling clenched his fists about his grandfather's robe. Surely he was safe in his Daerada's hands? Even if it would hurt?

A gentle hand was placed on the small of his back, and the other slipped under his chest, slowly lifting him back into a standing position. Kind, silver-blue eyes met utterly bemused grey ones as the Sinda smiled down on his grandsons.

"I shall not spank you today, little ones," the Lord of Lothlórien spoke softly. "Your punishment is over now."

Elrohir stared up into his grandfather's eyes, his face as neutral as he could muster, silently willing Lord Celeborn to reaffirm his statement. Was it real?

"You have my word, Elrohir," the silver-haired Elf Lord smiled, touching his lips and heart in the Elven vow.

Breaking into sobs of relief, Elrohir flung himself around his grandfather's neck, hiding his face in the silver-blond tresses. "Thank you, Daerada," the elfling whispered over and over, kissing his grandfather's cheek where he could.

Shaken, torn and deeply confused, Elladan rigidly stood between Lord Celeborn's legs, unable to let go of his earlier feeling. Only a moment ago Daerada had been about to chastise him…and now they were let off?

Sensing the elfling's confusion, Celeborn pulled Elladan close.

"I fooled you," he whispered in the elfling's ear. "For punishment."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Elladan bit back the angry tears that burned in his eyes and helplessly looked at his parents for aid...and answers.

"We knew that Daerada would do this, Elladan," Celebrían spoke kindly, stretching out her arms to embrace her son as she walked towards the divan.

"This confrontation with your fears – and with the embarrassment – is meant to be a lasting lesson for you, my sons," Elrond's gentle voice added, enveloping his wife and his elder son in his strong arms.

"But Ada…Daerada said he was going to spank us…" Elladan hiccuped, forcing himself not to cry. When Elrond's gentle hands caressed his son's brow, the oldest twin buried his head in his father's robes, clenching his fists and biting his lip to prevent his sobs from coming.

"You have made me very proud, Elladan," came Lord Celeborn's calm voice from behind. "And so have you, Elrohir, by your willingness to face the consequences of your actions. You have each shown courage and a humble heart. Both of you felt torn by the proposal I made, yet you overcame your first emotion and bravely submitted to the penalty I decreed. You have shown yourselves as worthy heirs of the House of Celeborn of Doriath."

Covertly wiping his eyes on his adar's robe, Elladan turned around to face his grandfather. "Thank you, Daerada," he mumbled with a humble nod and a bow.

Elrohir disentangled himself from Lord Celeborn's neck and repeated the statement. "I apologize, Daerada," he whispered, meekly staring into the silver-blue orbs.

"Me too," echoed Elladan. "And I apologize, Ada, for taking the Uruin from your apothecary. I will not do it again."

"At least not without _asking,_" Elrond smiled kindly as his sons apologetically bowed their heads to him.

"We won't!" assured Elrohir, slipping down from Lord Celeborn's lap and following Elladan across the room to where Glorfindel had watched the interactions of his beloved family.

"We're sorry, Glorfindel," the elflings spoke in unison, each reaching out to grasp the Elf Lord's hands before stepping back and assuming their warrior's pose.

"I already know that you are," Glorfindel smiled fondly, ruffling their hair. "I am proud of you for accepting your punishments like true warriors, and I accept your apology."

With a smile of relief Elrohir turned around. But…wasn't there something they forgot? Of course! "We're sorry, Nana!" he piped, rushing over towards his mother to embrace her. With a jolt, Elladan slammed into them both and the elflings crushed their mother in a tight bear-hug!

"Sorry for giving you such a fright about Daerada, Nana," Elladan sang, pulling his mother's face down to give her a kiss. Elrohir smothered his mother from the other side, until she playfully pretended to gasp for breath.

"I love you, Nana," Elrohir whispered.

"And I you, Elrohir," Celebrían smiled, kissing her youngest.

Elladan hesitated at the thought of being kissed in front of his Captain and grandfather, and quickly chose not to repeat his brother's words.

"Aha! He does not want to be pecked anymore!" chuckled Celeborn, sending his daughter a knowing wink.

Little dancing lights appeared in Celebrían's eyes. "Oh, but he has no choice," she stated airily.

Elladan's eyes widened and he looked up with alarm.

"Run, Elladan," Elrond urged his son with a chuckle.

The clear, rolling laughs of the Balrog Slayer and the Lords of Lothlórien and Imladris, mixed with the Lady's tinkling giggles and a high-pitched, frustrated and often repeated "Nana!" lured the Seneschal of the Last Homely House towards the family sitting room.

When Erestor entered, Celeborn, Elrond, Elrohir and Glorfindel were all standing on the balcony, laughing, and Elladan was darting about – then indoors, then outdoors – across the balcony and around the divan and table, his face flushed from his efforts to stay out of his mother's reach!

Ducking behind Erestor in an attempt to avoid the pursuing pursed lips, Elladan hurriedly bolted towards the open door. A flash of black and a flash of silver shot away into the corridor, disappearing from view and leaving the room in a momentary silence. Mere seconds later the sounds of soft giggles and brief struggle were followed by a wail of protest and the unmistakable sound of a kiss being pressed onto elfling-skin.

"Nana!" came an indignant cry.

But the impeccable hearing of all five Elves soon picked up the rustling sound of tunic and dress in a tight embrace, and of little lips kissing a mother's cheek. "I love you, too, Nana," came the softest of whispers.

O-o-O-o-O

Lord Celeborn of Doriath and Lord Glorfindel of Gondolin leisurely walked around the enormous balcony connected to the sitting room. Below, in the Hall of Feast, servants were walking on and off to prepare the welcome feast for the Lord of Lothlórien.

Astute as ever, Lord Erestor had gone out of his way to change the plans for the celebration. He had ordered for the Hall to be filled with many round, high tables and for the chairs to be removed, for Lord Erestor was preparing a standing buffet! Though it had grated his nerves to ordain something so vastly informal in the House of his Lord – in the presence of such a noble guest, no less! – Erestor was nonetheless determined to make _certain_ that Lord Celeborn would not suffer even the slightest of indignities while being the focus of this feast. The Seneschal felt mortified at the thought of the Elf Lord standing up, while the rest of the Elves in the Hall were seated to enjoy the banquet.

Staring out across the Valley, Glorfindel relished the warmth of the late afternoon sun. He softly sang a song of praise to the Valar, soon joined by the sonorous voice of Lord Celeborn, thanking the Lords of Valinor for their Gift to Arda when they had placed the vessels of the Sun and the Moon in the sky.

"Were you frightened, when Morgoth and Ungoliant destroyed the trees and their lights went out?" Celeborn asked his friend.

"We all were," Glorfindel answered with a barely perceptible nod. "For Ungoliant the Evil belched forth black vapour and she filled up all of Valinor with Darkness. It was more than a simple lack of light. This Darkness seemed a being of its own, made of malice, and it entered and filled the eyes, hearts and minds of all who beheld it. Not even Tulkas, the Vala, nor Oromë, were able to withstand it. Their wills were overcome by the deep Blackness, and they faltered in their pursuit of the Enemy and his evil companion."

Celeborn briefly touched Glorfindel's hand when he noticed the shiver that ran through his friend.

"I would have _wet_ myself," the Lord of Lothlórien offered, instantly bringing the light back to Glorfindel's eyes. The Balrog Slayer chuckled and sent the silver-haired Elf Lord a highly amused grin. "You seem to do that rather often," he remarked with a smile.

"Don't you dare!" Lord Celeborn threatened, recognizing the pixie-lights that had appeared in Glorfindel's blue orbs when he spoke.

"There they are," Glorfindel distracted, pointing across the Valley.

Yonder, on the paths that twined beneath the trees, Elrond, Celebrían, Elrohir and Elladan were returning from their visit to the stables – and Laedros. The obvious looks of relief on the elflings' faces drew enamoured chuckles from the blond-haired Elves, especially when the twins began to skip, and entreated their parents to join them in their gambolling.

Could there ever be a more beautiful sight, Celeborn wondered silently, than seeing his daughter, son-in-law and his grandsons, all four skipping along through the forest, hand in hand?

The door of the sitting room opened and Erestor unobtrusively came in to collect the tray with empty glasses and the silver decanter, covertly glancing at the laces on the Elf Lord's boots.

'Still tied...' he noticed with a satisfactory smile. He passed the tray and decanter to the waiting servant outside the sitting room, and hastily swept off along the corridor to oversee the preparations in the Hall of Feast.

"Bless his heart," spoke Glorfindel softly.

"He is a remarkable ellon," Celeborn confirmed. "His mind ever trained on serving and pleasing, keeping the House of his Lord in immaculate order."

"He is Imladris' most prized jewel," Glorfindel mused. "Or _one_ of them, I should probably add. I do not gainsay the love of all of Imladris for your daughter, her husband, and her sons."

Celeborn smiled knowingly. "Your point is taken, my friend," he answered soothingly. "I know what you mean. To tell you the truth: This morning I launched another attempt to persuade Lord Erestor to join the ranks of the Golden Wood."

"And as always, Lord Erestor refused," Glorfindel finished with a grin. Ah! Who could possibly know Erestor as well as Glorfindel did?

"You seem to be rather certain of your case," Celeborn chuckled. "What would you say if I told you that today, for the first time in all these centuries, I noticed a first, vague hint of doubt in Erestor's eyes when I invited him to come to Lothlórien?"

"Then I would name you a downright liar," Glorfindel smirked. "Erestor will not leave Imladris for all the gold and mithril in Arda – unless it shall be on an errand for his Lord. His home is here, where his heart lives."

"Do not be mistaken," Lord Celeborn boasted. "That little Seneschal of yours is beginning to warm up to me. The services he provides me with are more and more nearing a downright display of _mollycoddling_. He is pampering me to no end! Did you know that this morning he tied my bootlaces for me?"

Glorfindel snorted. "He did _not,_ you old fraud!" he retorted.

"Are you suggesting that I do not tell you the truth?" Celeborn hissed indignantly.

Glorfindel nodded slowly, openly challenging his ancient friend with his eyes.

"I know my Erestor like no other. Whereas he might tend to your every whim and need, even Erestor has his limits. The only reason why he would tie your laces, would be if you were injured and could not do it yourself. But he will _not_ humiliate himself to the point of tying the laces of a healthy, agile Elf Lord! You are a liar, Celeborn!"

"Mind your tongue!" glared the silver-haired Sinda. But Glorfindel did not miss the twinkling lights of delight that danced in the silver-blue orbs.

"A wager," Celeborn drawled, stepping a little closer to Glorfindel. "I shall untie the laces of my boot. The next time Erestor comes in, we will see what happens."

Glorfindel grinned. "You do not know Erestor the way I do, Celeborn. He shall _not_ tie your laces. You will gain no profit from this bet. Be careful before you lose face _once more,_" he added pointedly.

The nostrils of the silver-haired Elf Lord flared briefly as he was reminded of his humiliating entrance in the Valley…which had followed after the equally humiliating departure of his last visit!

"Wager with me," he hissed. "I feel a desperate need to see you _lose,_ Findel. I am willing to risk _much_ to see it accomplished."

Glorfindel grinned smugly. "I am warning you, _Teleporno,_ I will demand a high payment should _you_ lose."

Celeborn raised his eyebrows. Was that Balrog Slayer up to something again? "Name your terms!" he challenged.

"You shall jump down Aragond," Glorfindel stated, a victorious twinkle in his eyes.

Though he was confident that the Seneschal would 'aid' his case, the eyes of the Sinda nonetheless widened, and then narrowed as his mouth became a very thin line.

"You are a foul piece of work, Glorfindel," the Sinda spoke sharply.

The Chief of Defenses chuckled. "You will not be able to run from it forever, my dear friend. As I told you eighteen hundred years ago, and a myriad times since: There _will_ come a moment when you will find yourself rapidly sailing down past the cliff, heading towards a refreshing plunge. I have given you my word that I shall not give up until you do!"

"Against my explicit wish!" Lord Celeborn hissed, pressing his nose almost against Glorfindel's in his anger.

He snorted in disgust when the Balrog Slayer flashed him a toothy grin and he shoved the Lord of Gondolin aside by his shoulders.

"You are a manipulative, shameless advocate of mischief, Glorfindel. Be warned that I shall demand high payment from you also!"

"Name your terms…" Glorfindel drawled pleasantly.

"Considering the farewell you gave me after the Spring celebrations, it would seem an appropriate retaliation to make you spill a glass of lemon juice down the front of your breeches, and make you walk across the length of the training fields during practice, don't you agree?" the Sinda hinted.

Glorfindel flashed his drollest smile, shrugging inwardly. Oh yes, that would be quite a sight! His warriors would have something to talk about for several days, in all likelihood tease him with it for weeks, or perhaps even months. But Glorfindel was an easygoing Elf, stable as a rock, and very much at ease with himself. Good-natured teasing did not bother him, for he did not place value on his image and reputation, at least not beyond the effect that it had on the image and reputation of his Lord. He was who he was, with lemon juice on his breeches or not, and his warriors knew that.

"Your smile confirms my suspicions, Findel," Lord Celeborn hissed, eying the Balrog Slayer closely. "You do not care! _Wetting yourself_ shall not be a payment worthy of countering the outrageous demand that I leap down from Aragond."

Glorfindel chuckled as he stared into the blazing silver-blue eyes.

"I have a better idea," Lord Celeborn whispered ominously, in a futile attempt to scare the maddeningly unperturbed Elf.

"After Erestor kindly ties my bootlaces, you shall accompany me during the feast, tying my laces for me when needed and lifting up any items falling, or lying, below the hiplevel that should require me to bend down to retrieve them."

The eyebrows of the Balrog Slayer rose high.

"Might I inquire into the benefit this poses for you, seeing as you are quite capable of retrieving items from the floor yourself?" the Lord of Gondolin asked, mouth agape.

"Seeing you bending down for me, Findel! It seems utterly fitting to see you bowing your head in humiliation, after you required the same of me last Spring…" the Sinda smiled sweetly.

"You are a daring little Sinda," Glorfindel huffed, nettled at the mere _suggestion!_ It was true, he did not mind losing face in front of his warriors. Not at all! But in front of this wily, foul-playing… No matter. Erestor would not play into the hand of the Silver Tree.

"Agreed," Glorfindel said evenly, relaxing as he connected once more with his inner Elf. "You will not have your entertainment, though. I know Erestor like I know my own sword. He shall _not_ tie your bootlaces, and _you_ shall leap down Aragond!"

O-o-O-o-O

Unaware that he had become the deciding factor in a wager, Erestor swept into the room to close a few windows. One quick glance told the Seneschal that the Elf Lord's left bootlace had come undone.

'Great! Now how to get Glorfindel from the room?' Erestor wondered. How to find a way to be alone with the Elf Lord?

The Seneschal's eyes found the blue orbs of the Sinda, and the silver-haired Lord conveyed with a barely perceptible nod that the presence of the Balrog Slayer did not matter. Hurriedly squatting down at the Elf Lord's feet, Erestor proceeded to tie the unruly laces…for the seventh time this day!

Above him, Glorfindel's eyes nearly dropped out of their sockets!

"Is there anything you wish for, my Lord?" the Seneschal asked politely, getting to his feet. He frowned at the golden-haired warrior, who was opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land.

"Lord Glorfindel, are you well?" Erestor inquired pointedly, conveying with unmistakable clarity that the Balrog Slayer was to _stop_ this nonsense _instantly!_

"I am quite happy, Lord Erestor, thank you for your concerns," drawled the Lord of Lothlórien. "Is it time to prepare for the feast?"

"The bells shall sound early today, my Lord," Erestor said with a bow. "You will have plenty of time to arrange your appearance. I shall personally attend to your lordship."

"Ah, bless! Thank you, Erestor!" Celeborn smiled serenely.

The Seneschal glared pointedly at his blond friend, who looked as if he had swallowed a toad.

"Behave!" the Seneschal mouthed, after Celeborn had withdrawn to the balcony.

"Lord Glorfindel, a word?" came a drawl through the open doors.

Restraining the urge to fist his fingers in his golden mane and pull hard, Lord Glorfindel turned away from Erestor and miserably shambled towards his unavoidable fate…

O-o-O-o-O

The Seneschal of Imladris smiled as he watched Glorfindel stoop low to tie Lord Celeborn's bootlaces – for what had to be at least the twentieth time that night. The feast was well underway, and Erestor had seen Lord Glorfindel not only tie the Elf Lord's bootlaces, but he had also lifted fallen cutlery from off the ground, and had even handed up a napkin from a lower side table! Erestor had instructed one of his servants to follow Lord Celeborn around to pick up any items for him, if needed, but the ellon's aid was superfluous: The Chief of Defenses took care of it all.

"Glorfindel, you great big softy," Erestor smiled fondly, returning to his duties. "You are a true friend."

Elladan and Elrohir were playing with a few of their friends in a corner of the Hall. Celebrían walked over to find them, and escorted the twins to where their father stood enjoying his meal.

"It will soon be time for your apology to the Rivendell Guard and the warriors of Lothlórien, my sons," Elrond whispered softly, wiping his mouth on his napkin.

Elladan felt a familiar red tinge invade the skin on his cheeks. Even merely _appearing_ in front of an audience, by his father's side, already made him blush. The thought of having to actually _speak_ to this enormous crowd filled him with a deep sense of unease. He winced nervously.

"We can do this, El," came an encouraging whisper from his brother. "I will be by your side."

"And I," said Elrond kindly, placing a hand on his eldest son's back. "I shall not require of you to make your apology alone."

The Lord of Imladris led his sons towards the dais, where Lord Glorfindel and the March-Warden of Lothlórien stood waiting with their warriors.

Elladan kept his eyes firmly on his Adar's back as he walked up the few steps, but when they took their pre-discussed positions, Elladan and Elrohir standing between their father and grandfather, open to the gaze of the Hall, he could no longer avoid the inevitable.

'Ai, Elbereth!' he gasped inwardly when he looked up at the audience. There were _so many_ warriors! Behind the endless ranks of the Rivendell Guard, there were even _more_ Elves, the remaining guests of the feast. The entire Hall was a sea of faces!

Elrohir spotted a few of the warriors he knew from his morning training, right in the front row of the Rivendell Guard. He smiled when they sent him encouraging nods and winks, giving him the secure feeling that he was one of them, a brother in arms. One of the warriors even crossed his eyes and made a face for him! It was all Elrohir could do not to laugh and wave at them.

Beside the ranks of the Rivendell Guard, to the side, stood the eighteen warriors of the Lothlórien Guard with the March Warden. Several of the Galadhrim smiled kindly when Elrohir met their gaze, but not the March Warden. Elrohir briefly felt his courage sink when he looked into Haldir's cynical eyes. Hastily looking away, he searched for the eyes of his mother, who stood to the other side of the Imladris Guard.

The crowd grew still.

"…My sons wish to make an announcement," came the clear, calm voice of Lord Elrond.

Elladan felt his father's encouraging hand in the small of his back. Elrohir's hand squeezed Elladan's hard as the youngest twin took a deep breath.

"We have caused you all great anxiety and fear," began Elrohir's high, clear voice, exactly as they had rehearsed, "…through our actions, which gave the appearance that our grandfather was wounded. We regret that we have led you to believe that the safety of this Valley might no longer be taken for granted."

Elrohir squeezed his brother's hand twice. His twin, however, remained silent. The Elves in the Hall waited patiently, some of them with smiles of endearment and amusement on their fair faces.

"Elladan..." whispered Elrond gently, placing his hands on his son's shoulders. "Come, ion nín…take a breath. Many of you…"

"Many of you have searched the Valley to find the suspected source of danger," Elladan whispered, mortified at the burning heat in his face and neck. But then, taking courage from Glorfindel, who stood mouthing 'warrior' before the dais, Elladan continued in a more confident tone: "All warriors were called to arms and stood on highest alert, until the source of the harm done could be identified."

"Good!" whispered Elrohir, before continuing: "By the risk we took, using a dangerous, invisible substance and allowing it to leave our sight and control, the warriors of the Golden Wood fell victim to agonizing burns. It was the poorest imaginable reward for their loyalty when they aimed to protect our grandfather."

"We are saddened and embarrassed by the results of our actions," Elladan took over again, "…for we had merely intended an innocent prank and we meant no harm."

"We therefore wish to express our apologies and deepest and sincerest regret to you all," Elrohir finished.

The Elves of the Rivendell Guard and most of the Galadhrim nodded in appreciation. Some of them even in respect. They admired the young sons of Elrond for making their statement in front of such a large audience.

Elrond now took his sons down the dais to the warriors of the Lothlórien Guard. Stopping in front of the March-Warden, the dark-haired Elf gave his sons an encouraging shove.

Elladan and Elrohir placed their right hands on their hearts and bowed slightly. "We have done you needless harm and caused you undeserved pain," the twins spoke in unison. "Goheno men."

Surprised by this unexpected display of – rehearsed – twin-speak, an amused smile appeared on the March-Warden's face as he nodded solemnly.

"The Personal Guard of Lord Celeborn of Lórien accepts your apology," Haldir answered formally, and then added: "We shall hope that our future encounters with the sons of Elrond will be more _gratifying_."

Standing beside Celebrían watching the proceedings, Erestor gasped. See! There it was! He _knew_ it! The Lothlórien Guards might have _accepted_ the apology of the twins, but they would certainly not have _forgotten_ by the time the twins would be sent to train in the Golden Wood, in a mere ninety years time. Erestor's little ones would undoubtedly be the target of many pranks!

Elrond now guided the twins to the ranks of the Rivendell Guard, where they stood before the Chief of Defenses. With their hands on their hearts they solemnly apologized to their Captain, which apology Glorfindel graciously accepted.

"You are forgiven," smiled the Lord from long-lost Gondolin.

Elrond and the elflings returned to the dais where Lord Celeborn still waited. Kneeling in front of their grandfather, Elladan and Elrohir bowed their heads, hands on their hearts in the formal Elven apology, until Lord Celeborn's hands gently pulled them to their feet.

"Le gohenon," he smiled, touching their cheeks. "I forgive you."

Turning to address the audience, Lord Celeborn took his grandsons by their hands and spoke in a clear voice:

"The act which has led to our grief has been punished. Discipline has been meted out and apologies have been offered and accepted. The Golden Wood shall not bear a grudge against these two young Elves. I request that all present here shall henceforth consign this situation to the past, where it belongs."

A hushed murmur of approval went through the Hall, and many Elves smiled and nodded. They had seen that the sons of their Lord were truly remorseful. The elflings had bravely apologized in public and repented their deeds. Who could possibly not forgive these _children_, these little ones, for a playful prank that had regretfully gotten out of hand?

They were waiting for the Elf Lords to continue their speech, when with a loud, clanging noise Lord Celeborn's formal mithril bracelet collided with the wood of the dais, rapidly spinning around and eventually coming to a halt in front of the Elf Lord's feet.

Looking down with a look of surprise, Lord Celeborn sent the Chief of Defenses an apologetic smile.

"Lord Glorfindel, I seem to have dropped an artefact of office. Would you please be so kind?" the Sinda entreated smugly.

Elrond restrained his eyebrows from rising upwards. The Balrog Slayer glared menacingly, his back turned towards the Hall as it was, and the Lord of Imladris surmised that whatever had inspired this unusual request, it _had_ to be another aspect of the ongoing banter between these two. To his great surprise, Glorfindel actually complied! The Balrog Slayer climbed up the dais and hitched up his robes to bend down.

A swift flash of black and burgundy passed through his line of vision, a pair of gentle, restraining hands were laid upon Glorfindel's arm, and before anyone could move, Erestor had already scooped up the unruly mithril bracelet, and held it out to the Lord of Lothlórien.

"My gratitude, Lord Erestor," spoke the bemused Sinda, after which Erestor nodded politely and disappeared from the dais.

Glorfindel's eyes followed the raven-haired Seneschal to the back of the crowd and frowned. Never before in Glorfindel's long memory had Erestor publically humiliated himself like this.

He turned when the sound of barely audible whispers reached his ears.

"But Daerada! Why did you hold us back when we wanted to pick it up for you?"

O-o-O-o-O

"If you tangle your bootlaces in _one_ more statue or other protrusion, I shall personally strangle you," the Chief of Defenses hissed to his silver-blond companion.

"Hush, Glorfindel! You have fairly lost our bet," the Sinda smiled smugly, clumsily dropping his spoon…again! The Lord of Lothlórien happily swept through the Hall, Balrog Slayer in tow, conversing with the many guests, then here, then there.

"Do not scowl!" Celeborn chided kindly. "This is a celebration!"

Glorfindel smiled morosely.

"…of my victory," the Sinda added in a whisper.

Focusing – stubbornly, determinedly, _willfully_ – on his breathing, was the only thing that kept the Balrog Slayer of Gondolin from closing his hands about the regal neck! Smiling pleasantly at the ellith and occasionally nodding towards his warriors, Glorfindel dutifully followed his friend…the old fox!...through the Hall.

"Celeborn, may I have a word?"

Elrond expertly steered his father-in-law away from his Chief of Defenses. Erestor had alerted him that the Sinda seemed more than a bit clumsy this night. And indeed, after some covert observation the Lord of Imladris was able to confirm the unusual occurance of several small mishaps befalling the Lord of Lothlórien. The healer in Elrond had instantly raised its head, and now the Peredhel guided his patient through the crowd, off into a small alcove, for to inquire whether Lord Celeborn was well, and must the feast be ended early?

Seizing his chance, Glorfindel ducked between two pillars and practically _ran_ out of the Hall, down to the kitchens, to find Erestor.

O-o-O-o-O

The door slammed open with a thud and the Seneschal spun around in alarm.

"Why did you do that?!" Glorfindel demanded angrily, towering above the raven-haired Noldo.

"And exactly _what_ is your problem?" the Seneschal asked icily, irritated that the Balrog Slayer barged into his workspace like a bull.

"There was no need!" Glorfindel hissed.

"I only meant to help," the Seneschal snapped indignantly, rattled that the usually calm blond was raising the roof. "As is my duty in this House! Now move aside, I have fruit dishes to prepare!"

"Since when do you humiliate yourself beyond reason?!" Glorfindel raged.

Erestor's cheeks and eartips turned red…with fury!

"No wonder that the Balrog did not like you!" the Seneschal snarled. "You are as ungrateful as a scavenger during the plague! I did it for _you,_ Glorfindel, so you would not have to kneel! I could not stand aside and allow you to humiliate yourself in front of your warriors _and_ the Lothlórien Guard!"

Glorfindel momentarily grappled for words.

"_Not_ the bracelet!" he fumed. "_Not _during the speech! _Before!_ In the sitting room! Why did you have to tie his _laces_?!"

"Why, because it is my duty to see to the comfort of our Lord's guests!" the Seneschal spat, trying to shove the tall Balrog Slayer out of the way.

"Hold it! You are not shoving me aside until you tell me why you are crouching at Lord Celeborn's feet!" Glorfindel boomed.

Erestor's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Jealous, Glorfindel?" he hissed. Did the golden-haired goon want to claim that no-one but the 'famous son of Gondolin' had the right to tend to Lord Celeborn's needs? His precious Silver Tree? Never before had Erestor seen Glorfindel this possessive!

"You are not making any sense!" scoffed the Chief of Defenses. "Unless you mean to say…"

"I have _work_ to do, Glorfindel," Erestor interrupted loudly, impatiently walking around the Balrog Slayer and returning to his platters. "I must prepare the fruit dishes for _Lord Celeborn's_ feast, you see?!"

'Valar!' the Seneschal raged inwardly. If Lord Celeborn was _this _important to Glorfindel, he might as well roll up his sleeves and help with the preparations, instead of hinder them! Erestor furiously worked on the proper placement of the dices and slices of fruit, refusing to listen to that little voice in the back of his mind, which told him that Glorfindel cared more about the Sinda than about him. He refused to give in to the piercing pang of grief that stabbed his heart.

Behind him, Glorfindel watched his friend go rigid. He could read the Seneschal like a book, and it was most obvious to him that Erestor felt torn, hurt, and was trying to hide his true emotions. The eyes of the Balrog Slayer slowly widened in shock. Had Celeborn been right, then? Was it true that Erestor was increasingly attentive to the Sinda, because he was seriously considering Celeborn's request for him to…

"Are you…are you planning on moving to Lothlórien?" Glorfindel asked hesitantly, all anger evaporating like steam in the wind.

Erestor spun around, stung. Did Glorfindel want to have him away from here?

"Of course not!" he snarled, catching himself when he noticed the grief-filled eyes of the warrior. Confusion battled in Erestor's mind with sudden concern for his friend. "What…" he began, but was interrupted when Glorfindel closed the distance between them and grabbed his shoulders.

"Not?"

Erestor bemusedly shook his head. "Glory, what…"

A broad, bright smile appeared on the Balrog Slayer's face and the famous son of Gondolin pulled the stunned Seneschal into a very tight hug. "Ai! Hannon le! Goheno nin!"

"Let go, you oaf!" camed the muffled gasp from the shaken Seneschal. "Glorfindel! What is _wrong_ with you?"

The servants snickered and continued the preparations.

"Hush!" commanded Erestor. "No words spoken in this kitchen will travel beyond its threshold! Glorfindel, what in the name of Elbereth is happening today? Sit down!"

"Bless!" smiled Glorfindel gratefully, sinking down on the chair the Seneschal pointed him at. He felt immensely relieved that the old fox Celeborn had only been fooling him…again!

Erestor stood in front of his friend, hands on his hips, gazing down into the clear blue eyes, for he was not yet certain of the Balrog Slayer's mental state. He placed a gentle hand on Glorfindel's brow.

"You seem to be out of sorts today, Glory. Am I wrong to suspect that the Sinda is behind all this? I will make us some tea, and then you can tell me _all _that has happened."

**TBC**

_Translations:_

_goheno men – forgive us_

_le gohenon – I forgive you (both singular and plural) _

_hannon le – thank you_

_goheno nin – forgive me_

_ellith – plural of elleth, which means elf-maiden_

_O-o-O_

AN: Only one more chapter to come! Many thanks to Evendim for the use of 'inner Elf'!

Esteliel


End file.
